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Enduring America
Enduring America
(formerly Watching America) features blogs and podcasts by Professor Scott
Lucas and guest bloggers, analysing developments in
the United States, particularly the latest issues and trends
in US foreign policy. ***This blog has now moved to www.watchingamerica.org ***
31 July 2009 T oday on Enduring AmericaThe Latest from Iran (31 July): And Now….?
Rolling updates from inside the country....
This Wave is already in uncharted waters for the Islamic Republic, and I doubt any of us have the map to indicate where it goes.
Roger Cohen: "It was precisely emotion, and notions of good and evil, that the Obama administration had spent the previous months trying to drain from the charged U.S.-Iranian relationship."
23 July 2009 T oday on Enduring AmericaThe Latest from Iran (23 July): Preparing the Front
Rolling
updates
from
inside
the
country....
Mohammad Abtahi: "The current conservative opposition to the vice presidential choice is in fact an attempt to convince the President that somehow without their presence, it would have been impossible for him to obtain a huge victory in the election." Iran: Your Easy-to-Use Ayatollah ScorecardSix Grand Ayatollahs have made statements supporting demonstrations, two have been neutral, and one opposed. Amongst Ayatollahs, nine (including Hashemi Rafsanjani) have been supportive of at least some opposition demands, two neutral, and seven opposed. Iran: Playing the “National Security” CardKeeping the Change: How the Iranian Government is trying to use threats to “national security” both to hold off and to denigrate the opposition movement.Iran: A List of Those Killed and Detained (21 July)Latest Iran Video: The Protests Continue (21-22 July)Video: Obama Press Conference (22 July)Iraq: Transcript and Video of Obama and Al-Maliki Press Conference (22 July)War on Terror Update: Aussie TV Gives John Yoo Too Much TortureThe Australian television show The Chaser’s War on Everything decided to put Yoo’s Bush-era legal theories into practice in his classroom. 22 July 2009 T oday on Enduring AmericaThe Latest from Iran (22 July): “The Pendulum Swings” Towards Opposition
Rolling
updates
from
inside
the
country....
Iran: A List of Those Killed and Detained (21 July)The blog Revolutionary Road, a useful source of information throughout the post-election crisis, has posted a list of names of more than 60 people killed or missing and more than 300 detained since 12 June. Iran: Playing the “National Security” CardKeeping the Change offers a concise, effective analysis of how the Iranian Government is trying to use threats to “national security” both to hold off and to denigrate the opposition movement. Palestine: Was There a Plot to Kill Yassir Arafat?
How
the
Arafat
conspiracy
theory
was
converted
into
a
current
political
manoeuvre:
Hamas
is
the
“democratic”
party
seeking
truth
while
its
rival
engages
in
“tyranny”.
20-21 July 2009 T oday on Enduring America
(Apologies
for the
break in
service
as EA
staff
was scattered
between
music
festivals
and
house
moves this
weekend.
Check
out
website
for
great
set of
stories
17-20
July.
Thanks
to Mike
Dunn for
keeping
everything
ticking
over.)
The Latest from Iran (21 July): The Lull in the Cycle of Protest
Rolling
updates
from
inside
the
country....
1) Can Khamenei really rely on the “foreign menace” to maintain the support of most of the Iranian population, especially if that means a political showdown with a Rafsanjani or a Mousavi?; 2) How far can the call to “morality” take precedence over the specific concerns over the Iranian system during and after the system?
Iran: Pressure on the Supreme Leader?
More food for thought on Sunday. The website Mowjcamp, associated with Mir Hossein Mousavi, has claimed that “a few high-ranking prominent clergymen of Qom are applying pressure upon Khamenei in order to induce him to accept the protests of the public and clergy and abandon his support of Ahmadinejad”.
The news
is
unsurprising,
but it
is still
depressing.
16 July 2009 Today on Enduring America Buy Us a Coffee (and Keep EA Growing)Since its launch last November, Enduring America has grown from an academic blog read by hundreds of contacts to a cutting-edge website for latest news and analysis, read by thousands of visitors and followers on Twitter and Facebook as well as by insiders in politics, media, and academia. But, to be honest with you, we’re now beyond maximum capacity. So we're asking a favour....The Latest from Iran (16 July): Waiting for Rafsanjani’s Prayers
Rolling
updates
from
inside
the
country....
Iran: How Friday’s Prayers Might DevelopThe wave of green is a second chance given to reformist politicians to redeem themselves and the concept of the Islamic Republic in the eyes of the Iranian public.UPDATED Iran: How Many Protesters Have Died?The Clinton Speech: An Immediate ReactionNo reference at all to the essence of today’s problems, for there are God-given values of Americans which are always appropriate for others.UPDATED Video, Transcript, and Q&A: Hillary Clinton Speech at Council on Foreign Relations (15 July)Gaza: Did Israelis Use Civilians as Human Shields?This week, Breaking the Silence, the Israeli human rights organization, published a report, drawn from the statements of more than 30 soldiers, alleging mistreatment of Gazans in the effort to minimise Israeli casualties.The Urumqi Violence: Chinese Actions and Overseas15 July 2009 Today on Enduring America The Latest from Iran (15 July): Chess not CheckersRolling updates from inside the country....Iran: Facing the Rubicon of the Supreme Leader’s AuthorityWhile the general position of Supreme Leader is to be respected as the highest authority, that respect does not necessarily have to be given to an individual who does not fulfil the duties of the position, in this case, Ayatollah Khamenei.Iran’s Culture Protest: Singer Shajarian Turns Government to DustLATEST Iran Video: Mousavi, Rahnavard with Sohrab Arabi’s Family (14 July)Iran: Scott Lucas on “Sea of Green Radio”A disucssion of the manoeuvres behind this Friday’s prayers, with Hashemi Rafsanjani presiding and a mass march which may include Mir Hossein Mousavi, Mohammad Khatami, and Mehdi Karroubi, and stories of possible compromise within the Iranian system.British Revokes Arms Licenses to Israel: Does It Matter?As the other 177 export licenses for arms to Israel proceed without restriction, one suspects that this affair is simply a little local difficulty.Song of the Day for Our “War on Terror” (or Whatever We Call It Now)Paranoid Larry's ditty from 2006 might still have some relevance.14 July 2009 Today on Enduring America The Latest from Iran (14 July): Ripples on the SurfaceRolling updates from inside the country....Beyond the Election: Talking Turkey to Iran?“UN Security Council members and Germany must turn to Turkey to successfully negotiate with Iran.” LATEST Iran Video: Sohrab Arabi Funeral (13 July)Israel and the Middle East: France Jumps InIf true, French Foreign Minister Kouchner has just set up a two-way message to Israel and Iran: while Tehran has its deadline — negotiate by September or face tougher economic sanctions — the Israelis are now on notice over the Palestinian process.The Secrecy of Dick Cheney: Scott Lucas on the BBCVideo: Obama is a Dirty Old Man (or Maybe Not)Far from being a Dirty Old Man, it seems Obama was a Polite, Courteous Chief Exective, helping another lady step down. Instead, it’s Mr Carla Bruni, a.k.a. French President Nicolas Sarkozy, who may want to be watching both his headlines and his domestic situation.12-13 July
2009 Today on Enduring America The Latest from Iran (13 July): Challenge RenewedThe Latest on Iran (12 July): When Is Normal Not Normal?Rolling updates from inside the country....Iran Opposition Alert: Friday is the Day?The perfect storm of the opposition from “without”, the public challenge symbolised by the leadership of the Presidential candidate Mousavi, and the opposition from “within”, the private manoeuvring of former President Rafsanjani, may be imminent.Iran: Tehran’s Immediate Response to the G8 SummitBritain’s Foreign Office and the White House have avoided giving immediate responses so far. Instead, the “5+1″ (the permanent members of the United Nations Security Council and Germany) await Tehran’s next step.The Habitat Effect: Twitter, Spammers, and #iranelectionTwitter, having recognised its important role in post-election Iran, now needs to act against the spam. If it does nothing, the spammers might succeed where the Iranian authorities have failed, and silence online opposition.Iran Idiocy of the Day: Bushmen Claim Credit for “Regime Change”John Hannah, one of the advisors to Vice President Dick Cheney trying to remake the world in the Bush years, looks to claim the Iranian protest movement as Dubya’s legacy.US-Iran-Iraq: Why Were the “Erbil Five” Released?The release of the five Iranians points to the emergence of an Iraqi Government that is no longer subject to the demands of the US military. Afghanistan: The Irresistible Illusion of an Unobtainable VictoryRory Stewart: "After seven years of refinement, the policy seems so buoyed by illusions, caulked in ambiguous language and encrusted with moral claims, analogies and political theories that it can seem futile to present an alternative.” Israel: Livni Challenges Prime Minister Netanyahu’s 100 DaysThe more ground that the Netanyahu Government gives because pressure from the Obama Administration, the better placed Tzipi Livni will be within the context of a Washington-led settlement.
11 July 2009 Today on Enduring America
Rolling
updates
from
inside
the
country....
Iran: Rebellion of the Clerics? Not So FastMehdi Khalaji: "While a handful of marginal clerics and religious groups dispute the official result of Iran’s recent presidential election, the Shiite clerical establishment as a whole currently supports Iran’s top leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei."Getting Iran (Loudly) Wrong: Posturing for Mr Ahmadinejad and Mr HitchensA couple of fine examples of how to wedge events in Iran into personal and political prejudices and agendas.Iran Video: Mr Ahmadinejad and His Wonderful, Brightly-Coloured ChartsA post-election special in which President Ahmadinejad proposes the reform of the Iranian military to 331 B.C. with the help of, um, charts. Brightly-coloured charts. Including one about genies. And Robin Williams.Iran: Protest Through “The Rooftop Project”One of the distinctive features of the post-election protest has been the nightly calls from rooftops of “Allahu Akhbar” (God is Great).Iran: How Strong is the G8 Statement on the Nuclear Programme?It’s not the statement of the G-8 Summit that poses the questions over future relations with Iran. Those are in the post-summit positions now being considered in Washington and Paris, not to mention Moscow and Beijing.Transcript: Obama Press Conference After G8 Summit (10 July)Keeping Israel in Check: Washington Says No Warplanes to IndiaIsrael may be India’s second-largest arms supplier after Russia, but she is feeling a bit of pressure from Washington.10 July 2009 Today on Enduring America
Rolling
updates
from
inside
the
country....
We’re
not
certain
about
the
extent
of the
marches
in
Tehran
yesterday
(and, to
be
honest,
I think
the
symbolic
significance
of the
show of
opposition
outweighs
any
number),
but
others
are
trying
to
establish
the size
of the
rallies.
What is
Tel
Aviv’s
next
step in
the
manoeuvres
between
the US
and
Iran?
You
can't
keep a
good
woman
down....
"These
Weapons
of Mass
Destruction
cannot
be
displayed"
7-9 July 2009 Today on Enduring America The Latest from Iran (18 Tir/9 July): Day of Reckoning?The Latest from Iran (8 July): The Day Before….?The Latest from Iran (7 July): Sitting Out a Storm
Rolling updates
from inside the country....
How significant
is the challenge to the regime
and the role of Mojtaba Khamenei
on and after the 12 June
elections?
"The Iranian
authorities are using prolonged
harsh interrogations, beatings,
sleep deprivation, and threats
of torture to extract false
confessions from detainees
arrested since the disputed June
12 presidential election."
The best parts of
the President's speech on
Tuesday...
Solving the
mystery of the Vice President's
words on Sunday....
Is
the US acceptance of the 2500 units due to the specifics of private
contracts and Israeli law on settlements, or have the two sides found common
ground where both sides meet with some concessions?
This two-way message is being laid out to maintain
a balance between Iran and the US.
In a series of case studies Ian Cobain of The
Guardian shows
how torture has become a standard method of interrogation for the
British intelligence services, and how everyone involved- from
personnel on the ground to high-ranking government ministers- may be
complicit.
6 July 2009 Today on Enduring America The Latest from Iran (6 July): Covered in DustRolling updates from inside the country....UPDATED Iran: Solving the Mystery of The “Association of Researchers and Teachers of Qom”Getting to the truth on the clerical and political manoeuvres and the fiction of The New York Times' headline on Sunday....UPDATED Iran: Joe Biden’s “Green Light” and an Israeli AirstrikeDid the Vice President give the nod to Tel Aviv?Transcript: Vice President Biden on Iraq, Iran, Economy on “This Week” (5 July)Video and Transcript: Top US Military Commander Mullen on “Face the Nation” (5 July)4-5 July 2009 Today on Enduring America The Latest From Iran (5 July): Treading WaterThe Latest from Iran (4 July): Breaking the Reformists? Not So Fast….Rolling updates from inside the country....LATEST Video: “Keeping the Peace” (30 June-2 July)Iran Text: Keyhan Editorial “Put Mousavi, Khatami on Trial”"[This] corrupt movement has been implementing a foreign mission in order to encourage unlawful activities, kill innocent people, create a rebellion, plunder public property and weaken the power of the Islamic system."Iran: 12 More MartyrsHuman rights activists have released details on 12 more people killed in post-election violence in Iran, bringing the total to 26.Video: U2’s Concert Song for IranVideo: “An Iranian Atomic Bomb Can Wipe Israel off the Map in a Matter of Seconds”The US Ambassador to Israel, Michael Oren, diverts attention from Palestine.Transcript: Benjamin Netanyahu’s 4th of July Message for the US (and Iran)Video and Transcript: President Obama’s “Independence Day” AddressVideo: Sarah Palin Resigns as Governor of Alaska (3 July)Video: All the Best Bits of Sarah Palin3 July 2009 Today on Enduring America The Iran Crisis (Day 22): What to Watch For TodayThe Latest from Iran (3 July): The Long Haul?Rolling updates from inside the country.... LATEST Video: “Keeping the Peace” (30 June-2 July)Iran: The Statement of “The Mourning Mothers of Iran”"To our boys and brothers in the security forces! We are your mothers. We treat you with respect as mothers. Respect us and our wishes and refrain from inflicting harm onto your mothers. Our sighs will follow you if you treat us with violence."The Doctor Killed Neda: Your Press TV Guide to the Latest in IranA Song for Iran? “Free My Land”Hiding Gaza, Hiding Israel: The Jailing of Cynthia McKinney (and 20 Others)As McKinney and others continue to refuse deportation, no doubt hoping that their jail stay will eventually be noticed, and as Israeli authorities just hope the incident will disappear, expect the New York Times and Washington Post to ignore a story that is not fit to print.Video and Text: Amnesty International Report on Gaza “War Crimes”1-2 July 2009 Today on Enduring America The Latest from Iran (2 July): The “Gradual” OppositionThe Latest from Iran (1 July): The Opposition RegroupsRolling updates from inside the country.... Iran: The Post-Election Challenge from Qom’s ClericsIn the furour over the Presidential election, the most intriguing political contest may have taken place, behind the street scenes, in Iran’s religious centre, south of Tehran in the dusty city of Qom.Iran Audio and Text: The “Ghaffari Tape” Criticising the Supreme LeaderAn unprecedent clerical attack on Ayatollah Khomeini.Iran: 14 Latest Facts and Possibilities from “The Green Brief”How to get to the truth behind stories and rumours from Iran....Iran: Text of Mousavi’s Statement to Supporters (1 July)Iran: Scott Lucas Audio Interview with Fintan DunneAfghanistan Strategy: Obama “WTF?” to His MilitaryThe Obama camp makes a move to pre-empt additional military demands.Iraq: Day One of the “Post-American” EraJuan Cole's immediate guide to the situation behind the US "withdrawal"Video: “The only chance we have as a country … is for Osama bin Laden to detonate a major weapon in the United States.” Glenn Beck and Michael Scheuer recommend salvation through destruction. 30 June 2009 Today on Enduring America The Latest from Iran (30 June): Opposition, It’s Your MoveRolling updates from inside the country.... LATEST Video: Rally at Ghobar Mosque, Resistance, Violence (24-28 June) Iran: To Its People, To The Future (A Daily Show Tribute)Iran: Identifying the Killed and DetainedThe Guardian of London has launched an appeal to put a face to the names of the hundreds of people killed and detained in Iran since 12 June.Iran: More on “Two Twitterers” (and on the Idiocy of “The Times”)Updates on bravery in new media and craven sniping in old.What Israel Needs from Iran: Threat, Not DemocracyHead of Israel Defense Forces: "The reelection of the Iranian president, his remarks on his intention to harm Israel, and his efforts to obtain unconventional weapons, require us to be prepared to deal with every threat, far away and nearby."Video and Transcript: Obama on the “Clean Energy Economy” (27 June)28-29 June 2009 Today on Enduring America The Latest from Iran Crisis (29 June): The Challenge SurvivesThe Latest from Iran (28 June): The Regime Fails to Wrap Up the Election Rolling updates from inside the country.... LATEST Video: Rally at Ghobar Mosque, Resistance, Violence (24-28 June) UPDATED Iran: A Tale of Two Twitterers A story of politics, new media, and bravery. Iran: For Those Still Detained (A Daily Show Tribute) Jason Jones interviews three people — former Vice Presidents Ibrahim Yazdi and Mohammad Ali Abtahi and journalist Maziar Bahari — who have all been detained by the Iranian authorities. Making Links: Extract from Martin Luther King’s “Letter from a Birmingham Jail” Transcript: General Raymond Odierno on CNN’s “State of the Union” (28 June) "[Iraqi] security remains good. We’ve seen constant improvement in the security force, we’ve seen constant improvement in governance." Sex and Politics: Putting “Monkey Business” in the Right Perspective John Matlin: "Maybe I’m too old and jaded, maybe I’ve reached the age of pure cynicism but give me a politician any time who can get the investment banks to behave properly and lawfully, who can reduce loutish behaviour so we can walk city centres at night, who can find ways to reduce teenage pregnancies and who, if an American, can get guns off the streets. Find him or her and he or she can have as many affairs as he or she wants." 26-27 June 2009 Today on Enduring America The Latest from Iran (27 June): Situation Normal. Move Along.Rolling updates from inside the country....The Iran Crisis (Day 16): What to Watch For TodayIran: Hammer and HandshakeWhile Ayatollah Ahmed Khatami was wielding the public hammer to smite the demonstrations, Ayatollah's Makarem-Shirazi's statement is an indication of reassurance to key individuals. But whom?Israel-Palestine: Hamas’ Meshaal Makes His MoveAssuming the Cairo discussions between Fatah and Hamas proceed, the Obama Administration might use Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal’s message as leverage if Israel does not move beyond symbolic developments.Video: Obama-Merkel Press Conference (26 June)Trippy Skippy: Opium-Eating Wallabies and Their Crop CirclesWe could not have made this story up.
25 June 2009 Today on Enduring America The Iran Crisis (Day 14): What To Watch For TodayThe Latest from Iran (25 June): The Sounds of Silence
Rolling updates from Iran.
"Doubtlessly, these events had another big victory
for our people and that was the possibility to talk to the world and
exhibit their real face, demands, and goals."
Iraq has been pushed back into the
news because of a series of deadly bombings.
The moral may be that moving
detainees about might buy time and a bit of breathing space, but it is no
substitute for firm agreements.
23-24 June 2009 Today on Enduring America The Latest from Iran (24 June): Peering Through the CloudsRolling updates from Iran.LATEST Video: The “Neda” Protests (20-23 June)Iran: More than Khamenei v. Rafsanjani? (Gary Sick and a Response) "Iranians prefer chess to football, and a 'win' may involve a negotiated solution in which everyone saves face." Iran Latest: A Khatami Action Plan? "We are no longer going to waste our energy. We have said what needed to be said to the world, however now it’s time to act rather efficiently." Iran: New Technology, New Protest, New System? Colette Mazzucelli: "The aftermath of the Islamic Republic’s national elections are a testament to the will of a people to protest in unprecedented ways against the results of the June 12 vote." Iran and Britain: Diplomatic Breakdown? Shirvin Zeinalzadeh: "The act of sitting down and talking or even being in the same room – far from minor successes — may now be lost." Video and Transcript: Obama Press Conference (23 June) Israel-Palestine: Netanyahu-Mitchell Talks Postponed Here’s a news item that, amidst other crises, slipped under the radar.... After the Cold War: The Red Army Choir and “Sweet Home Alabama” Brings a whole new meaning to Redneck. 22 June 2009 Today on Enduring America The Latest from Iran (22 June): Waiting for the Next MoveRolling updates from Iran.Iran: Who Was “Neda”?On Saturday, a woman was watching demonstrations on Karegar Avenue in Tehran when she was shot in the chest by a paramilitary Basiji. A 40-second video captured the killing; within hours, “Neda” became an icon — witting or unwitting — for the political movement in Iran.Latest Video from Iran: The “Neda” ProtestsIran: The “Mousavi Revolutionary Manifesto” for ChangeGary Sick on Mousavi: “It is apparent from this statement that Mousavi’s movement — and Mousavi himself — have evolved enormously in the past week….[This] is truly a revolutionary statement.” Iran: Can Speaker of the Parliament Ali Larijani Prompt a Solution?Text: Mohammad Khatami Statement (21 June)Video: Obama’s Weekly Address “Washington Will Fight For Consumers!”President Obama’s latest weekly address was on new consumer protection legislation, which was described as important for the recovery of the economy as well as for action against those companies that have benefited through abuses of consumers’ rights.Video and Transcript: Netanyahu on US TV “Meet the Press” (21 June)On Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appeared for 13 minutes on US television, speaking to NBC’s “Meet the Press”. However, it is a remarkably tangential interview, with host David Gregory spending 12 1/2 minutes on Iran and 1/2 minute on Palestine.Video and Transcript: US Ambassador on “Fragile” IraqAs we were focused on events in Iran, news came through of the deadliest attack in Iraq this year, with 80 people dying in a suicide truck bombing in Kirkuk.
21 June 2009 Today on Enduring America The Latest from Iran (21 June): Does the Fight Continue?Rolling updates from inside the country....LATEST Video: The “Neda” Protests (20-21 June)Iran: EA’s Chris Emery in The Guardian on Khamenei and MousaviThe Supreme Leader’s defiant rejection of any wrongdoing in these elections has put the ball firmly in Mousavi’s court.Video and Transcript: The Moment of Truth? Mousavi’s Speech at Saturday’s ProtestsVideo and Transcript: US Ambassador on “Fragile” IraqChristopher Hill: "I don’t want to sound Pollyannish about that because these are trends that are fragile and ones that need to be nurtured every day.”Sunday Special Video: Obama the Super-Hero20 June 2009 Today on Enduring America The Latest from Iran (20 June): Will The Rally Go Ahead?Rolling updates from inside the country....Iran: The 7 Lessons of the Supreme Leader’s AddressSaturday’s rally could yet be the greatest challenge the Islamic Republic has ever seen.Iran: An Iranian Live-Blogs the Supreme Leader’s Speech"Overall, it does not look good, worse than it ever was...."Transcript: Ayatollah Khamanei’s Speech at Prayers (19 June)Twittering Iran: What the “New Media” Means for Politics, Protest, and DemocracyHenry Giroux: “The uprising in Iran not only requires a new conception of politics, education, and society; it also raises significant questions about the new media and its centrality to democracy.”Video: Obama Statement on Iran (19 June)"I’m very concerned, based on some of the tenor and tone of the statements that have been made, that the Government of Iran recognize that the world is watching.”Obama is Osama? It’s All in the EyesWhy have Osama bin Laden and Barack Hussein Obama never been photographed together?“If the Bear Were Real”: Local News Story of the DayThis video of a Ohio television station’s news story on a bear in a back garden still has me crying with laughter.19 June 2009 Today on Enduring America The Latest from Iran (19 June): The Supreme Leader SpeaksRolling updates from inside the country....Iran: Live Blog of Supreme Leader’s Address (19 June)The speech as it happened today...LATEST Video: The Protests in and Beyond TehranIran Eyewitness: The Wednesday and Thursday Demonstrations in Tehran"Today made it very clear that the dynamics of the movement are constantly evolving. From the first march where the only focus was on Mousavi/ people’s vote to Mousavi, today’s slogans touched on issues of freedom/justice/innocent people dying for a just cause."Iran Eyewitness: More Audio from “Alive in Tehran”Small World News have posted their second audio, an interview this morning with an Iranian eyewitness reporting on the Thursday demonstration in Tehran, the forthcoming Friday prayers, and the plans for a large Saturday protest.Text: Mousavi Speech to Tehran Rally (18 June)The Message from the Israeli Public: ‘No Concessions!’According to a Jerusalem Post-sponsored Smith Research poll, most Israelis view outposts and settlements in the West Bank far differently than they are seen by the US Government.Iran: What’s Happening? Sifting Information from Rumours on Twitter How to read a conflict... 18 June 2009 Today on Enduring America Video and Transcript: Clinton and Israel’s Lieberman on Settlements and IranWhile the US has yet to convince Israel on the settlements issue, Clinton did indicate that Washington had succeeded in another important area: keeping Iran in the background, rather than at the forefront, of US-Israel discussions.Iran after the Elections: Confession, Accusation and Warning from IsraelAfter the Guardian Council announced its decision to review the vote in the Iranian Presidential election, a confession, an accusation and a warning came from Israel on Tuesday.LATEST Video: The Protests in and Beyond TehranIran: What’s Happening? Sifting Information from Rumours on TwitterHow to read a conflict...Iran: EA’s Chris Emery in The Guardian – “Khamenei’s Supreme Dilemma”It is unlikely that public pressure, combined with the efforts of a politically powerful clique, will remove Ahmadinejad from power. This crisis is, however, as much a clash of competing cultures in Iran as it is about political transparency.Iran: Reading the Supreme Leader’s PoliticsTwo provocative analyses of the politics behind the recent decisions of the Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali KhameneiIran: Worst Political Analogy of the DayWinner: Representative Pete Hoekstra (Republican, Michigan)17 June 2009 Today on Enduring America The Latest from Iran (17 June): Uncovering the News on Attacks, Protests, and the Supreme LeaderRolling updates throughout the day from inside the country....LATEST Video: The Protests in and Beyond TehranIran: The First Audio from “Alive in Tehran”Our friends at Small World News, who broke new ground with “Alive in Baghdad” and “Alive in Gaza”, have just posted their first recording with an Iranian witness to events.Enduring America’s Scott Lucas on Al Jazeera EnglishVideo of a panel discussion on the Iran situation on Tuesday afternoon’s Inside Story with Dr Seyed Mohammad Marandi of Tehran University and Professor Anoush Ebteshami of Durham University.Iran: An Alternative View of the Election and DemonstrationsShirvin Zeinalzadeh: "The strength of Ahmadinejad has been forgotten over the last few days as we see the almost one-sided views of the Moussavi supporters walking the streets of Tehran."Video: President Obama’s Statements on Iran (16 June)The Daily Show on “Irandecision 2009″Jon Stewart’s take on the Iran election controversy, linking the special qualities of President Ahmadinejad with the special qualities of….US Vice President Joe Biden?16 June 2009 Today on Enduring America The Latest from Iran: Marches, Deaths, and Politics (16 June)Rolling updates on fast-moving developments in Iran....LATEST Video: The Protests in and Beyond TehranFirst-Hand (Iran) Story: How Twitter is Changing BroadcastingAn experience from a Monday interview with EA's Scott Lucas on the BBC World Service....Iran: Video and Transcript of President Obama’s Remarks (15 June)Iran’s Elections: Shirvin Zeinalzadeh on Al JazeeraBoom: A Few Global Facts on Military Expenditures for Your Kind ConsiderationIt seems that the economic global crisis has not shattered the balance of demand and supply in the military-industrial complex.Video: Netanyahu on US Television (NBC “Today” Programme – 15 June)15 June 2009 Today on Enduring America
Rolling
updates
throughout
the
day....
Updated
throughout
the
day....
"The
priorities
of the
Obama
administration
are also
still
the
same.
Resolving
the
Israel-Palestine
conflict
means
Iran
cannot
be
pushed
to the
forefront
as the
immediate
challenge.
And in
the
longer
term,
the
demands
on the
US from
Afghanistan
and
Central
Asia to
relations
with the
wider
Islamic
world
still
mean
that
engagement
is the
preferred
alternative.
Irrespective
of the
outcome
of the
presidential
election
in Iran,
there is
no
reason
to
suggest
these
will not
be
potentially
effective
strategies."
Enduring
America’s
Chris
Emery on
BBC News
24 on
Saturday,
giving
one of
the
first
reactions
in
Britain
to the
unfolding
events
in
Iran....
“Talks
with
Iran are
not a
reward
for good
behavior;
they’re
only a
consequence
if the
President
makes
the
judgement
that
it’s in
the best
interests
of the
United
States
of
America….
to talk
to the
Iranian
regime.
Our
interests
are the
same
before
the
election
as after
the
election.”
Netanyahu’s
magic?
At the
same
time
that he
supposedly
accepted
the
“two-state”
peace
process,
his
carefully-framed
speech —
for the
moment —
made it
disappear.
14 June 2009 Today on Enduring America Latest Updates from Iran: Protests and Rumours (14 June)LATEST Video: The Protests in TehranVideo: Iran Protests Spread to Shiraz and MashhadIran: Text of Mousavi Letter to His Supporters (13 June)Iran’s Election: Ten Indications That The Results Were Altered13 June 2009 Today on Enduring America Iran’s Election: Latest NewsRegular updates on the latest from the country after the disputed outcome of the Presidential election....Iran’s Elections: Surprise and UncertaintyThe least that could be said this morning is that the overnight outcome of Iran’s Presidential election was unexpected, to observers outside the country and I suspect many inside it. It is the more that might be said — and done — that now occupies attention.Iran’s Election: “Ahmadinejad Victory!”Shirvin Zeinalzadeh: "It really comes as no surprise that his victory was so big. Many fail to realise the supporters of Moussavi were the young elite rich of Northern Tehran."Pakistan: The Conflict ContinuesAsia Times Online: "Pakistan’s month-long military operation in the Malakand Division of North-West Frontier Province (NWFP), which includes the scene of especially heavy fighting in the Swat Valley, has, per official figures, cost the lives of over 1,300 militants and led to the displacement of 3.5 million civilians.The battle is far from over." 12 June 2009 Today on Enduring America Iran Elections: Will the Results Be Accepted by All?Robert Dreyfuss: "The reality is that Khamenei and his all-powerful Council of Guardians has approved all four candidates, and virtually everyone says that the Leader will be happy if either Ahmadinejad or Mousavi wins."Iran Elections: Mousavi on US/Israel, Nuclear Programme, Dress Code
On the eve of today’s elections, Presidential candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi spoke with Al Jazeera. The clip is less than three minutes but packed with important declarations:
How Not to Cover Iran’s Elections: The Awards CeremonyIncluding misleading labels, the yelps of Bushmen, "Iran's Michelle Obama", and "“Mousavi the Illiterate US Stooge”Palestine’s Path to Peace: Orwellian Lines of the DayArrests as part of the "road map"...11 June 2009 Today on Enduring America Iran: A Preview of Tomorrow’s Presidential ElectionNo one could forecast how dynamic — and potentially important — this campaign has become.Lebanon’s Elections: 10 Essential LessonsRami Khouri: "None of this really mattered much, however, because the balance of power in Lebanon (as in the entire Arab world) is not really anchored in parliament, but in power relations that are negotiated elsewhere."Lebanon’s Election: Text of Hezbollah’s Concession Speech (8 June)Afghanistan Magic: How to Turn Mass Killing Into Public-Relations VictoryThomas Barnett: "It is both amazing and a credit to our military that we can so swiftly (just a month) and so readily admit serious operational mistakes in the field."10 June 2009 Today on Enduring America
We claim
that Israeli
Prime
Minister is
trying to
take control
of the
Palestine
issue from
Washington.
How can we dare to be so bold? Because of Netanyahu’s own officials. Israel-Palestine: US Envoy Mitchell Talks, Netanyahu Tries to Seize Control President Obama’s envoy to the Middle East, George Mitchell, visited Israeli leaders on Tuesday and again established why he is an outstanding diplomat. Only problem? Someone is trying to out-flank him, and that someone is Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Lebanon and Iran Elections: It’s All About (The) US The US and British media’s misreading, simplifications, and exaggerations spread like kudzu. How Not to Cover Iran’s Election: Mahmoud Ahmadinejad Becomes Sid Vicious The Daily Telegraph: “Rather like the punk rock group the Sex Pistols, or the singer Pete Doherty, it is not unusual, apparently, for the president to plan a gig but then fail to show.” 9 June 2009 Today on Enduring America Lebanon’s Elections: From Global “Showdown” to Local RealityThe danger is not that a Lebanon led by Hezbollah, and behind Hezbollah its “masters” in Iran, will emerge to challenge Israel and the US. Instead, the political knife cuts the other way: external rhetoric of the Hezbollah danger, a rhetoric which can always be escalated not to advance the regional peace process but to block it, would simply add to Lebanon's internal tensions.An Alliance of Interests? Russia and Israel in Obama’s New WorldIn the Middle East, Russia becomes one of the first beneficiaries of the “soft power” of the US.Obama’s Cairo Speech: A View from TehranDr. Mahmoud Reza Golshanpazhooh: “The Obama speech is an undeniable turning point. But the most important part of the story is to put these words into action."Cases of (Non)-Engagement: From Iran and Saberi to North Korea and Ling-LeeThe point is that — whatever North Korea’s motives — the possibilities for a humanitarian resolution are far more limited, if they exist at all, than they were in the case of Iran.8 June 2009 Today on Enduring America Meanwhile, the Saudi Arabian (and US?) Proposal: Cut Aid to IsraelPerhaps the great unnoticed paradox of Barack Obama’s Middle Eastern trip came before his Cairo speech, when he stopped in Riyadh.Palestine: Is Hamas Digging Away Its Political Ground?Israel’s need for some political breathing space, perhaps ironically, is met not in Washington but in the streets of Palestine.Video: Iran-First or Palestine-First? A Turning Point Debate on CNNYesterday, there was a turn of debate on CNN’s GPS which may be symbolic of the shift in US foreign policy. This was a clash of “Iran-first” vs. “Palestine-first” in the US approach towards Israel. And Palestine-first won, 16 hands down.Video and Transcript: Hillary Clinton on “This Week” (7 June)
7 June 2009 Today on Enduring America
Perhaps the most striking response
to President Obama's speech is coming from Hamas officials,
who are cautiously signalling that they are ready for
discussions.
It may be less than 48 hours since the
Obama speech, but the US and Israel are already manoeuvring
— and testing each other — over Palestine.
Given the US delay in moving its Embassy, how
does Benjamin Netanyahu — facing a difficult position in his
Cabinet and with Israeli public opinion — respond?
Wednesday’s election debate between Iranian
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and one of his challengers,
Mir Hossein Mousavi, is still sending ripples through and
outside Iran.
There have been a few
dramatic (and misleading) headlines, but the gist of the
IAEA’s conclusions are the same: no imminent Iran nuclear
weapon and a call for transparency on the programme.
6 June 2009 Today on Enduring America Creating Iran’s Nuclear Weapon: The US, Israeli Intelligence, and “The Laptop Documents”Putting together reports and interviews, Gareth Porter claims that Israeli intelligence played a key role in assembling the Iran “laptop documents” and then feeding them to Washington.Afghan Airstrike Deaths: US Military Admits ErrorsDespite previous denials, "A military investigation has concluded that American personnel made significant errors in carrying out some of the airstrikes in western Afghanistan on May 4 that killed dozens of Afghan civilians."Obama in Cairo: Press ReactionsWhile al-Jazeera believes that it points to a ‘welcoming’ reaction from Israel, Press TV focuses on an apparent Israel ’snub’ to Obama over settlements. One short statement, two very different responses.Video and Transcript: Obama and Merkel Remarks at Dresden Press Conference (5 June)Video and Transcript: Obama, Merkel, and Wiesel Statements at Buchenwald (5 June)Saturday Video Funnies: How Fox News Saw Obama’s Cairo Speech“These people…have a very unfavorable view of the United States….So why are we wooing them?”Saturday Video Funnies: Liberals Now More Dangerous than TerroristsRepresentative Lamar Smith: “The greatest threat to America is not necessarily a recession or even another terrorist attack. The greatest threat to America is a liberal media bias.”5 June 2009 Today on Enduring America Obama in Cairo: A “Challenging, Thoughtful Speech”The significance of the immediate responses to Obama's world-view from CairoVideo: Meanwhile in Iran - The Significance of (Presidential) DebatesI do not think it is an exaggeration to call the developments in Iran’s Presidential campaign “extraordinary”.4 June 2009 Today on Enduring America
And so the paradox of Cairo: at
the end of Obama’s hour, his exaltation of
values across faiths comes to Earth in those
buildings in East Jerusalem and across the West
Bank. It is their spread, rather than the spread
of goodwill or religious blessings, that will
determine the fate of this President’s “right
path”.
In a dramatic non-move that will
disappoint devoted readers of Conservapedia and
the Weekly
Standard, the still-not-Muslim
President did not kneel down before the
very-Muslim King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia.
As American and Britain news agencies continue to misunderstand and misrepresent President Obama’s strategic approach on Iran, Foreign Policy's The Cable offers an essential view from inside the Administration.
The wars may have ostensibly ended in Gaza and Sri Lanka, but the conflicts and hardships continue. As hundreds of thousands of residents languish in detention camps or endure a protracted siege, British medics trying to help also find themselves hindered — and worse — by Government officials.
3 June 2009 Today on Enduring America
One useful
way of
considering
tomorrow’s
grand Middle
Eastern
speech by
President
Obama is to
recall that
it was
supposed to
be delivered
three or
four months
ago.
Last Sunday
there was an
important
summit, in
symbolism
and possibly
in policy,
in Tehran.
Iranian
President
Mahmoud
Ahmadinejad
welcomed his
Afghan and
Pakistani
counterparts,
Hamid Karzai
and Asif Ali
Zardari.
Karina
Bracken: "It
is in a cafe
in Dublin
that I meet
Salman
Ashraf, far
from his
native Swat
Valley in
Pakistan. He
is gently
spoken but
speaks with
sincerity
and
conviction
about the
recent
events in
his hometown
of Mingora."
Last week,
Enduring
America’s
John Matlin
set out the
British
mega-scandal
over the
expenses of
its Members
of
Parliament.
Readers have
noted that
John’s
analysis is
complemented
by that of
two other
Jons/Johns —
Stewart and
Oliver — as
The Daily
Show surveys
English
stiff-upper-lip
anger,
Sacklesschester,
and The
Eternal
Wonder of
the Great
British
Moat.
In a slight
shift from
his campaign
trail
promise,
President
Obama
announced
Monday that
his
administration’s
message of
“Change” has
been
modified to
the somewhat
more
restrained
slogan
“Relatively
Minor
Readjustments
in Certain
Favorable
Policy
Areas.”
2 June 2009 Today on Enduring America Video: Obama Interview with BBC (1 June)There was one significant passage where Obama called on Arab States to make concessions so Israel would engage in negotiations with the Palestinian Authority and other countries.Audio: Obama Interview with National Public Radio (1 June)The questioning was blunt, opening with, “Do you have to change or alter in some way the US support for a strong Israel?”, but Obama held his line.Scott Lucas on Al Jazeera: Israel’s Military DrillsA spirited discussion on Israel’s military exercises and their significance for Middle Eastern politics with Mark Heller of Israel’s Institute for National Security Studies and retired General Hisham Jaber of the Lebanese ArmyVideo: The Fox News-Israel Alliance (It’s All About Iran)Israel's Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon holds out for economic sanctions against Iran’s “existential threat” as Fox’s anchorman presses for a military response.Video: Former President Carter on Detainee AbuseSpeaking on CNN, Jimmy Cartermade a gentle but challenging contribution to the debate over the release of photographs of detainee abuse and an investigation of the Bush Administration’s torture programme.Obama and National Security: “This Guy Has to Show Some Stones Somewhere Along the Line.”Matt Taibbi: "Obama is on his way to doing exactly the wrong thing. He’s going to make a show of closing the base, but retain the underlying idea by keeping some of the prisoners in indefinite legal purgatory."Today’s Bush’s-Glorious-Iraq-Surge Story: We Can Kick North Korea’s ButtIn the never-ending fantasy game of Why George Bush Really, Really Got It Right on Iraq, even as the casualty level for US troops reach their highest point since September 2008, former Bush official Peter Feaver takes today’s top prize.1 June 2009 T oday on Enduring America
Last
week,
there
was
another
series
of
developments
—
some
illuminating,
some
confusing,
all
disturbing.
“I’ve
done
work
in
prison,”
she
said.
“This
is
worse
than
being
in
prison.
How
people
can
be
so
cruel
to
other
people–
I
don’t
understand,
I
just
don’t
understand
it.
“The aim is to keep Gaza at subsistence and offer a contrast with the West Bank, which in theory benefits from foreign aid and economic and political development. Hamas supporters will then realize their mistake. The plan has not gone well, however.” 31 May 2009 T oday on Enduring AmericaDamascus Matters: Syria, the US, and the New Middle EastIn contrast to the Bush Administration’s attempt to get the “right” Middle East through exclusion of those whom it did not like or trust, the Obama Administration in four months has rebuilt relationships with key leaders. Still, the outcome of those initial breakthroughs awaits an even bigger signal: the US President’s speech in Cairo next Thursday.Video: Palestine Latest - Settlements and Blockades but No ReconstructionUN Humanitarian Coordinator: “Blockades continue in order to protect Israeli settlements.”Iran: The People’s (Facebook) RevolutionThe Facebook revolution is one of dialogue and engagement. It may face further bumps along the political road, but a return to a full block is unlikely. The illusion that Iran is cut off from “the West” — just as the illusion that Iran is or should be just like “the West” — is now well and truly shattered.Video: Secretary of Defense Gates on North Korea’s Nuclear ProgrammeFight the Power: Rapping for Lower Taxes and WaterboardingTwo freshmen at Dartmouth College, “Serious C” and “Stiltz”, having grown up on the mean streets, have styled themselves as “The Young Cons”....Just think of this as the love-child of Vanilla Ice and Sarah Palin. 29-30 May 2009 T oday on Enduring AmericaAfter The Obama-Abbas Meeting: A Palestinian Stuck between Washington and Tel AvivObama, less than a week before his Cairo speech, still has nothing — not even a modest Israeli concession — to anchor his general wishes for peace. Stiil, in comparison to others, he might be considered fortunate. For Mahmoud Abbas does not even have the trappings of authority as the non-peace process drags on.Video and Full Transcript of Obama-Abbas Meeting (28 May)Israel on North Korea’s Nuclear Test: It’s All About IranIt took less than a day after Pyongyang’s second nuclear test on 25 May for Israel to identify the real significance: Iran.Video: Brzezinski — “This is the Last Chance for Peace in the Middle East”Speaking on MSNBC this week, Zbigniew Brzezinski, President Carter’s National Security Advisor, declared that President Obama found himself between two options/schools of thought: Israel’s official perspective of delaying the peace with Palestinians, by presenting the Iranian danger as the priority of “existential threat”, and the demand for a two-state solution.Fear and Loathing in the British Parliament: An Explanation for my US FriendsJohn Matlin on the expenses scandal: "The beauty of American democracy is that no one needs to trust anyone else. Checks and balances take care of that."23-28 May 2009 28 MAY Iran’s President Election: Mousavi Makes His (Economic) ChallengeGaza: Israel’s Destruction of Agricultural Land ContinuesVideo: Reaction to North Korea’s Second Nuclear TestVideo: Brzezinski on MSNBC: Warnings after North Korea’s Nuclear TestVideo Update on It’s-Not-Torture: How Many Seconds Would You Stand Waterboarding?27 MAYThe Implications of the Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Sales between Moscow and Tel AvivVideo and Transcript: Obama with C-SPAN on Empathy, Justice, and Politics (22 May)George W. Bush: Iraq Was a Biblical War Against Gog and Magog26 MAYMay Plan C on the Israeli-Arab Peace Process Work?Gaza: Scientific Mission Finds Evidence of Israeli Use of Depleted Uranium and White PhosphorousTurkey: Manoeuvring Against Israel Over PalestineVideo and Transcript: Colin Powell on Face the Nation (24 May)President Obama’s Weekly Address: “Sacrifice”25 MAYThe Power Politics Surrounding IranIran’s Elections: Ahmadinejad Plays His Israel-US CardsThe Misleading Bush Legacy: Nicholas Kitchen on Libertas24 MAYThe Uncomfortable Heaviness of Responsibility: The Obama National Security SpeechUN: The Problem with Sri Lanka’s Internment Camps Is….NoiseFBI Director Robert Mueller: ‘Keep Away from Me’23 MAYVideo and Analysis: The Obama Speech on National Security, 48 Hours LaterThe Evacuation of an Outpost in East Jerusalem: Is It a Sign?Hillary Clinton on Al-Jazeera: “Stop the Settlement Construction.”Robobama Comes To Disney World
22 May 2009 T oday on Enduring AmericaA Gut Reaction to the Obama National Security Speech: Getting Stuck in A “Long War”Halfway through the speech, Obama got into trouble. Because it was then that he had to move from his powerful abstract of “values with security” to the realities of the Bushian policies that had wrenched them apart.Video and Transcript: Obama Speech on “National Security” at the National Archives (21 May)Video: Dissecting the Cheney Speech on National SecurityKeith Olbermann: “Thank you, Sir, for admitting, obviously inadvertently, that you did not take a serious first look in the seven months and 23 days between your inauguration and 9/11. For that attack, Sir, you are culpable, morally, ethically. At best you were guilty of malfeasance and eternally-lasting stupidity. At worst, Sir, in the deaths of 9/11, you are negligent.”Video and Transcript: Dick Cheney Speech on “National Security” at American Enterprise Institute (21 May)EA Exclusive: Israel Unravels Obama’s “Grand Design” for the Middle EastPresident Obama, contrary to our earlier assessments, may have had a grand plan to offer on 4 June in Cairo. And Israeli officials, publicly and privately, have spent the last 96 hours ripping that plan apart.UN Special Envoy to the Middle East: “Let’s Wait and See”On GazaA BBC interview with Robert Serry, the UN Special Envoy to the Middle East, raises again the question of the UN's effectivenessPot-Kettle-Black Moment of the Day: Karl Rove on “Credibility” and TortureThe Great Congressional Bailout: Guantanamo (Part 1 — The Daily Show)We can handle a Brain-Eating Zombie, but we can't handle the detainees?The Great Congressional Bailout: Guantanamo (Part 2 — Dan Froomkin)Here’s one thing that hasn’t changed in the Obama era: Republicans are still able to come up with scare tactics that turn Senate Democrats into a terrified and incoherent bunch of mewling babies.21 May 2009 T oday on Enduring AmericaKeeping Guantanamo Open: Will Obama Give Way?President Obama will make an important, possibly defining, statement on the future of the Guantanamo Bay detention facility today. It will define not only whether Obama will stick to his January promise to close the prison within 12 months but also whether he will be politically caged — not only on Gitmo but on other “national security” and foreign policy issues — by Congress, the media, and the Bushmen/Bushwomen and those who still support them.Afghanistan Hearts-and-Minds Update: We’re Sorry (But We Didn’t Kill That Many of You)The US military's latest un-apology....Text: The Latest CIA Report on Iran’s Nuclear, Chemical, and Biological ProgrammesText: The EastWest Institute (US-Russian) Report on “Iran’s Nuclear and Missile Potential”"This report has concluded that there is at present no IRBM/ICBM [intermediate-range/inter-continental ballistic missile] threat from Iran and that such a threat, even if it were to emerge, is not imminent. Moreover, if such a threat were forthcoming, the proposed European missile defenses would not provide a dependable defense against it."Video Shocker: Obama is Hitler (And You’re on His List)Our favourite delusional paranoid and/or talk-show shyster, Glenn Beck, makes the leap from the AIG financial services group to the auto industry to prove that Obama/Hitler is “coming after you”.20 May 2009 Today on Enduring America
The Obama Administration is scrambling, against a 4 June
deadline, for something to offer the Arab world. And the prospects aren’t
looking good.
Today some outlets are noting the immediate humanitarian (and
longer-term political) issue: the more than 250,000 refugees now in
overcrowded camps.
We are not convinced that the 2 million displaced in Pakistan
will be testifying to Washington’s long-term aim of economic progress and
security if and when they hear Clinton’s words about the power of US
benevolence and technology.
19 May 2009 Today on Enduring America The Netanyahu Meeting: Obama Wins Battle, Loses WarObama continues to impress with his day-to-day tactics, and he did so yesterday against another master tactician, but as strategists, he and his Administration have put themselve in a difficult position. Where I come from, it’s called a “hiding to nothing”. Assessing Netanyahu-Obama: Israel, Iran, and PalestineOn the day-to-day scorecard of statesmanship, each President got a Win. Obama blocked the Israeli insistence of Iran First. Netanyahu, however, ensured that Palestine First would be a far from quick and complete process. An Iranian Perspective: Obama and the Middle EastMahmoud Reza Golshanpazhooh: "There may be no escaping of the fact that in the extremely realistic world of international relations the presence of a window of hope may be a source of optimism and pessimism at the same time. Video and Transcript : Obama-Netanyahu News ConferenceTorture: More on the CIA-Military, Guantanamo-Iraq Link"[Even] before [General Geoffrey] Miller met with the Abu Ghraib officials, he first made a little-known visit to the Iraq Survey Group, which was in charge of the hunt for WMDs in Iraq after the invasion. Miller told the ISG they were “running a country club” by not getting tough on detainees….Miller recommended temperature manipulation and sleep deprivation."The Historical Case for TortureHow it looked 2000 years ago.... 18 May 2009 T oday on Enduring AmericaRevealed: Zelikow Memorandum Says Torture is not OK (Unless It’s Effective)"Ask the DNI [Director of National Intelligence] whether, based on years of experience now accumulated worldwide and in Iraq, the U.S. can achieve its intelligence objectives while treating detainees humanely, as that term is defined under minimum international standards. Or, alternatively, ask whether experience shows it is necessary, in order to achieve intelligence objectives, to have the right to use practices regarded as cruel, inhuman, and degrading."UPDATED Torture: The Hidden Photos EmergeRe our Saturday post on the emergence of 15 of the photographs whose release was blocked by President Obama: Italian newspapers La Repubblica and Il Corriere della Sera have now published some of the photos. Afghanistan Document: US, Coalition Casualties Up 55%Video and Transcript: Obama Speech at Notre Dame Graduation17 May 2009 T oday on Enduring AmericaAfghanistan: US Special Operations, Civilian Deaths, and the New US CommanderOn Friday, The Independent of London put together some pieces of a military puzzle, linking US special operations and Afghan deaths from American bombing and missiles, to declare, “The US Marines Corps’ Special Operations Command, or MarSOC…was behind at least three of Afghanistan’s worst civilian casualty incidents.”Torture: The Hidden Photos EmergeAfter a great deal of discussion, Enduring America has decided to post the two “most moderate” photographs. We do so not to be sensationalist or voyeuristic but to show the “enhanced interrogation” carried out in America’s name not only in Iraq but from Guantanamo Bay to Afghanistan to unnamed countries from 2002.Torture: The Pelosi “Controversy” in One SentenceA question put to Mr Karl Rove, a Bush advisor, when he wrote that Pelosi was an “accomplice to ‘torture’”.Video: The Pakistani Offensive in the Swat ValleyAl Jazeera have a video report documenting Pakistani airstrikes and the reaction of residents of Mingora, the largest town in the area.16 May 2009 T oday on Enduring AmericaMonday’s Israel-US Showdown: Iran First or Palestine First?What President Obama needs now is not an Iranian concession but an Israeli one. If Netanyahu holds fast and does not open up the possibility of “genuine” talks with the Palestinian Authority, including discussions of political status as well as economic development and security, then Obama’s message — launched on Inauguration Day — of a new day in the Middle East is looking shaky.Iran: Following Up the Roxana Saberi CaseSometimes, the celebration is not only of a humanitarian outcome but of the less-than-humanitarian manoeuvres that lie behind it — and of the political and quite positive consequences that may follow.President-Possibly-A-Muslim: Obama Bows Down…Again!Last month Enduring America brought you the controversy surrounding Obama’s apparent bow to King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia. Now he’s at it again…and we have the picture to prove it.15 May 2009 Today on Enduring America War on Terror Newsflash: Guantanamo Stays Open, Military Tribunals ResumeA day after President Obama’s reversal on the release of photographs of detainee abuse, his Administration made another concession to critics in Congress and the media. Three administration officials spread the word that Guantanamo Bay military tribunals will be resumed for some detainees.The Torture Photos: Obama’s Six-Step SidestepDan Froomkin: "In trying to explain his startling decision to oppose the public release of more photos depicting detainee abuse, President Obama and his aides put forth six excuses for his about-face, one more flawed than the next."Secret Wars: Pentagon $50 Billion “Black Budget” Reaches for the SkyNext year’s expenditure on covert operations will be close to the entire military budget of Britain, France, Japan, or even China,the next supposed superpower rival to the US.Wobbling Alliances: The Israel-Turkey-Syria TriangleTwo weeks ago, Turkey and Syria held, for the first time in history, joint military drills. So what happens to other relationship, notably the long-standing ties between Ankara and Tel Aviv?14 May 2009 T oday on Enduring AmericaMr President, Torture Still Matters: Obama Puts Away The Abuse PhotographsObama’s reasons are flimsy and at times illogical. So, since the President is normally quite intelligent and logical, the statement is more of a cover-up than the actual reason behind his decision.So what did happen? Obama gave in to pressure. Video: Obama Decides Not to Release Photographs of Detainee AbuseVideo and Transcript: Bush Official Zelikow Condemns Torture ProgrammesIronically, as President Obama was trying to tuck away any more photographs revealing the US Government’s torture of detainees, former Bush Administration official Philip Zelikow was dissecting the legal and political cover for “enhanced interrogations” in testimony to a Senate committee.Transcript: FBI Agent Ali Soufan Testifies on TortureSoufan was one of the first agents to question Al Qa’eda operative Abu Zubaydah, and by “connecting” with the detainee, he learned the identity of 9/11 planner Khalid Sheikh Mohammed.Torture: Today’s Side-Splitting but Thoughtful Cartoon13 May 2009 T oday on Enduring AmericaSri Lanka: The Hidden SlaughterIt is estimated that the “Sri Lanka mess”, in which Government forces are fighting the insurgency of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam has killed an estimated 6500 civilians in recent weeks. Yet it has been effectively a non-story in US and British media.Sri Lanka: “Why is the World Not Helping?”Vany Kumar: "This is really a disaster. I don’t know really how to explain it. At the moment, it is like hell."Al-Qaeda In Pakistan: Making The Local GlobalIt’s a complicated relationship, with al-Qaeda’s ‘global’ jihadis tapping in to local militancy and vice versa.Torture Then: When “Enhanced Interrogation” Started21 October 2001: "FBI and Justice Department investigators are increasingly frustrated by the silence of jailed suspected associates of Osama bin Laden’s al Qaeda network, and some are beginning to that say that traditional civil liberties may have to be cast aside if they are to extract information about the Sept. 11 attacks and terrorist plans."Torture Now: Jon Stewart Takes on the New Dick Cheney“At long last, Mr Vice President, have you no sense of deceptiveness?”Video and Transcript: Dick Cheney on Fox News (12 May)Yep, him again.Swine Flu Latest: Introducing the News/Death RatioSwine Flu: 8176Tuberculosis: 0.1 12 May 2009 T oday on Enduring AmericaNow It’s Petraeus’ War: US Replaces Top Commander in AfghanistanThis is not Secretary of Defense Robert Gates’ war. This is not President Obama’s war. This one has been claimed by David Petraeus.Transcript: Gates-Mullen Briefing on US Command Change in AfghanistanIran: Roxana Saberi Freed from Tehran PrisonA day after her appeal of an 8-year sentence for espionage, Iranian-American journalist Roxana Saberi was freed from jail in Tehran.11 May 2009 T oday on Enduring AmericaA Little Torture: New Revelations of CIA Sleep Deprivation ProgrammeJustice Department Memos: "More than 25 of the CIA’s prisoners were subjected to sleep deprivation. At one point, the agency was allowed to keep prisoners awake for as long as 11 days; the limit was later reduced to just over a week."Afghanistan Civilian Casualties: Did the US Use White Phosphorous Last Week?Afghanistan human rights commission: ""Doctors who had treated victims from the incident had reported strange burns they believed may have been caused by a chemical like white phosphorus."Video and Transcript: Pakistan’s Zardari and Afghanistan’s Karzai on “Meet the Press” (10 May)Transcript: David Petraeus on CNN’s “State of the Union”Transcript: David Petraeus on “Fox News Sunday”zVideo and Transcript: National Security Advisor James Jones on “This Week” (10 May)Video and Transcript: Dick Cheney on “Face the Nation” (10 May)10 May 2009 T oday on Enduring AmericaIran: Court Hears Roxana Saberi AppealThe appeal of the Iranian-American journalist, sentenced to 8 years for espionage, began Sunday.Video: Obama Tries Out Comedy at White House Correspondents’ DinnerEven if you don’t get the string of inside-Washington jokes, the first two-thirds of the speech — before Obama pays tribute to the press amidst its current financial crisis — is really funny.Republican Congressman: Nazis Not So Bad (Compared to Guantanamo Detainees)Adolf Hitler, claim your partial exoneration. Josef Goebbels, hold fast to your propaganda. Hermann Goering, give back the cyanide. Y’all may have killed millions, started one of the two bloodiest conflicts of all time, and generally been nasty, but Congressman Pete Hoekstra has given you partial absolution.9 May 2009 T oday on Enduring AmericaUS Troops Staying in Iraqi Cities Past June Deadline (and to 2024?)General Raymond Odierno returned to the attack at a briefing in Washington: up to one-fifth of American combat troops may stay in Iraqi cities beyond the 30 June deadline.Obama to Link New Speech to Muslims with Israel-Palestine Initiative?Obama will make another general appeal for “engagement”, then have meetings and photo opportunities with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas.Scott Lucas on Press TV: The UN Report on Israel’s Killing of Gaza CiviliansOn Thursday I appeared, with Richard Millett of IsraelConnect, on Press TV’s Four Corners to discuss the United Nations Board of Inquiry report on the deaths of Gazan civilians in the recent Israeli military operations.Anti-American Euro-Weenie Update: Dangerous Writer Grounds Trans-Atlantic FlightFortunately, our alert homeland security forces were able to stop Hernando Calvo Ospina, a Colombian writer corrupted by his residency in France, before he could strike us with biting sarcasm or villainous irony.8 May 2009 T oday on Enduring AmericaThe Summit: Obama Fiddles, Afghanistan and Pakistan BurnIf you want significance, it came not in Washington but back in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Here are the articles that mattered: “Civilian Deaths Imperil Support for Afghan War“, “In Pakistan, ‘Great Rage, Great Fear’“, and, this morning, “Afghans Protest over Farah Deaths“.Afghanistan Civilian Deaths: US Military Un-ApologisesThe “collateral damage” — not to the innocent but to the US military — must be limited.Beyond the Summit: Pepe Escobar on Obama-Bush in Afghanistan-PakistanThis was far from being an urgent meeting to discuss ways to prevent the end of civilization as we know it. It has been all about the meticulous rebranding of the Pentagon’s “Long War”.Beyond the Summit: Dan Froomkin on Afghanistan and PakistanIt’s worth stopping to consider what the “military solution” has been looking like recently in this region of the world.Enduring America Suggests: William Jefferson Clinton for the Supreme CourtIf there were impeachment proceedings before the Supreme Court, he would be in a position of experience to lead.Torture: A Captain Kangaroo Court for the Bush AdministrationStephen Colbert: “President Raccoon had a magic letter, so it was not a violation of Common Article III of the Geneva Conventions”Hamas Talks, Afghanistan-Pakistan Politics, T oday on Enduring AmericaEA Exclusive: Palestine’s Hamas Sends Message to Obama Administration, Wants TalksThe Lebanese broadcaster Al Manar is reporting that Hamas has passed a message to the Obama Administration through an European official. United Nations Report: Israel Deliberately Fired on Gaza Schools/Shelters I’m not sure how many folks are still paying attention — the Gaza War is so yesterday — but a United Nations Board of Inquiry has found that the Israeli military deliberately fired on UN schools, which were being used as civilian shelters, during the conflict. Obama's message: "OK, boys, we’re not going to push you out of office, but you best be co-operating with us now." Tuesday’s Mass Killing in Afghanistan: US Military Begins The Lying This is already a glaring example of how the Obama policy in Afghanistan will be undone not only by US military action, but by the attempts to cover up the consequences of those actions. Transcript: Pakistani President Zardari Gets Schooled by CNN (5 May) Josh Mull: "Zardari is…trying to remain calm and classy while the anchors explain to him how his country works" Economic Crisis: The World Bank Turns Into The World’s Good Guys Will the descendants of today's 'conscientious' problem-solving guys will have enough concern and courage to criticize the cyclical dynamics of global capitalism when, after an upturn, there is again the possibility of maximising profits? History Corner: Did Reagan and Gorbachev “Win” the Cold War?Our partner, The Journal of American Studies, has posted a challenging roundtable on Melvyn Leffler’s recent book, For the Soul of Mankind: The United States, the Soviet Union, and the Cold War: "Were or were not leaders decisive?” Republican Street Fight: Mitt Romney Runs from Bears, Ronald Reagan, Sarah Palin 2008 GOP Presidential candidate Mitt Romney got a bit lippy about Sarah Palin’s recent appearance on Time magazine’s list of most influential people: “”Was that the issue on the most beautiful people or the most influential people?” Devoted Palinists, rather than taking the “most beautiful” compliment, hit back. 6 May 2009 Today on Enduring America An Israeli-Syrian Peace? Biden, US Give Conflicting SignalsIn the span of 24 hours, the Obama Administration went from demanding dual peace tracks between Israel and the Palestinian Authority and between Israel and Syria to a simple acceptance of the Israeli line on Syrian control of the Golan Heights as a security threat.Or maybe not. Video: Vice President Biden at AIPAC Policy ConferenceBiden's most challenging statement was a call on Israel to freeze settlement expansion and grant greater freedom of movement to Palestinians as a means of demonstrating Israel’s commitment to Palestinian statehood: “Show me.”Video: Afghan President Karzai at Brookings Institution (5 May)Nothing stunning in the talk, but a confident and lucid Karzai emphasised Afghan advances in social services and political development. Doing so, he set up a powerful counter-narrative to the charges that he and his advisors are corrupt and ineffective leaders.Video: Raw Footage of US Soldiers “Hunting People for Jesus” in AfghanistanA Very Religious War: US Military “Hunt People for Jesus” in AfghanistanHead US Military Chaplain: "We do the same things as Christians, we hunt people for Jesus. We do, we hunt them down. Get the hound of heaven after them, so we get them into the kingdom." Bright Idea of the Day: Attack Pakistan’s Nuclear WeaponsNoah Pollak on the blog of Commentary magazine: “The current chaos could provide a pretext for a U.S. operation to seize or destroy the Pakistani arsenal.”5 May 2009 Mullen Pushes on Pakistan Today on Enduring America Afghanistan: Karzai Out-manoeuvres the United StatesSomewhere there are cats marvelling at the lives of Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai.Video: Admiral Mullen Briefing on Pakistan-Afghanistan (4 May)Mullen’s immediate purpose was to push both countries as the priority for American foreign and military policy: while the US “remain committed to the mission we’ve been given in Iraq”, it had now been overtaken by crises which left him “gravely concerned”: “This isn’t about can-do anymore, this is about must-do.”Video: Benjamin Netanyahu to AIPAC Policy Conference — The Threat is IranThe six-minute presentation was a far-from-subtle pitch to identify Tehran as Public Enemy Number One, linking it to both Fascism and Soviet Communism.Iran: Roxana Saberi Appeal to Be Heard Next Week?The case of Iranian-American journalist Roxana Saberi, jailed in Iran for eight years on charges of espionage, may be moving to a legal and diplomatic conclusion.Anti-American Euro-Weenie Alert: Polish Piano Player Really Mad at USA tongue-in-cheek look at the hysteria around concert pianist Krystian Zimerman's criticism of US military policies.
4 May 2009 Today on Enduring America More on “Bye, Bye Zardari”, Hello Pakistan Military Video and Transcript: Secretary of Defense Gates on CNN (3 May) Iraq: The “Semi-Peace” Gets More Violent, the US Becomes Less Relevant Meanwhile in Iraq: Iran Looks for a Border Settlement Anti-American Euro-Weenie Alert: Polish Piano Player Really Mad at US 3 May 2009 T oday on Enduring AmericaBye Bye Zardari (Again)? Washington Considers The Political Alternative in PakistanWhat is significant in the latest report is the open backing of Obama officials of Nawaz Sharif, Zardari's long-time rival.Land before Peace: Israel Threatens to Demolish Palestinian Homes in East JerusalemA United Nations report, released Friday, has found that up to 60,000 Palestinians are at risk of eviction in East Jerusalem.Arms for the Middle East (and Beyond): Israel Goes BollywoodAerial weapons manufacturer Rafael: “Together, forever, I will hold you in my heart. Together, forever, we will never be apart.”2 May 2009 T oday on Enduring AmericaPodcast Special: George Lipsitz on America’s “Bitter but Beautiful Struggle”Video: Clinton Warns Iran, China, Latin America at State Department Town Hall MeetingOn Friday, it was “get tough” Hillary, strapping on her shoulder pads for a contest with Beijing and Tehran in Latin America.May Day, May Day: The Strains in US-Russian RelationsNATO expelled two top Russian diplomats after accusing them of spying and Russia signed a treaty strengthening its ties with the separatist regions at the center of the controversial war. Are Russia’s relations with the West doomed to fail?An Enduring America Record (Thanks to You and Winnie the Pooh)With a last-minute assist from Winnie the Pooh’s intervention on Swine Flu, Enduring America has set a monthly record for pageviews.Swine Flu Gonna Get You: US Government Warnings from 1976“Swine Flu? Man, I ain’t gonna let it catch me!”
1 May 2009 T oday on Enduring AmericaAid and Warning: Clinton Backs Abbas, Gives Zardari Space, Puts Karzai on NoticeQuick question: which of these three — President of Pakistan Asif Ali Zardari, President of Afghanistan Hamid Karzai (pictured), or former President of the West Bank Mahmoud Abbas — should be feeling most secure this morning about support from Washington?Clinton/Gates to Israel (and Congress): Back Off on IranGates’ statement is a clear indication that, for the foreseeable future, the Obama Administration is committed to an “engagement” to get a resolution: Iran renounces any intention of pursuing nuclear weapons, the US eases economic sanctions, and the two countries co-operate in some areas and reduce their conflict in others.Video and Transcript: Robert Gates Remarks to Senate Appropriations Committee (30 April)Video and Transcript: Hillary Clinton Remarks to Senate Appropriations Committee (30 April)Condoleezza Rice: It Wasn’t Torture (Because the President Ordered It)“The president instructed us that nothing we would do would be outside of our obligations, legal obligations under the Convention Against Torture….And so by definition, if it was authorized by the president, it did not violate our obligations under the Convention Against Torture.”The Upside of Swine Flu: Sarah Palin Joins TwitterHere is today’s Palinism: “We still have no reported cases of swine flu.”30 April 2009 T oday on Enduring AmericaObama Press Conference: Nailing Torture, Trashing the Pakistani GovernmentThe President's messages: Waterboarding is Torture, Pakistani President Zardari is disposable, the Pakistani military is not.Video and Transcript: President Obama “Day 100″ Press Conference (29 April)Video and Transcript: President Obama at St. Louis Town Hall Meeting (29 April)Video: Senator Arlen Specter Switches to Democrats from RepublicansMiss California Says NOM on Same-Sex MarriageA new advertising pin-up for "opposite marriage"....Swine Flu Latest: Winnie-the-Pooh Offers AdviceVideos: Swine Flu (and The Daily Show) Bringing You “The Last 100 Days”When all else fails in the face of farce and farcical fear, turn to The Daily Show for the way forward on swine flu, “last on the list of things that can kill you in Mexico”.Video: Who Brought Us Swine Flu? Illegal Alien Terrorist MexicansMichelle Malkin is sure that the cause is “uncontrolled immigration”, but it’s radio talk-show host Michael Savage who puts the vital question, “Could this be a terrorist attack through Mexico? Could our dear friends in the radical Islamic countries have concocted this virus and planted it in Mexico?”
29 April 2009 T oday on Enduring AmericaScott Lucas on BBC Radio: How Is Obama Doing? Gaza: Where’s the Reconstruction Money? Video: US Public Diplomacy, Elizabeth Cheney, and the Denial of Torture Flashback: The Bush Administration Knew It was Torture How Swine Flu Started: Nationalised Medicine, Poor People, Democrats 28 April 2009 T |
