Foreign Policy & War

Arrogance Is Humility

by Sheldon Richman December 4, 2002

Taking a step back from all the particulars, the lesson of 9/11 is that for more than 50 years the U.S. government has put the American people in harm’s way by its heavy-handed intervention in bitter disputes throughout the Middle East. Then, despite hundreds of billions spent each year on “national security” and countless signals ...

The Dangers and Costs of Pax Americana

by Richard M. Ebeling December 1, 2002

On September 17, 2002, the White House released a 31-page document entitled “The National Security Strategy of the United States of America.” It spells out the planned global agenda for the U.S. government for the foreseeable future. It is nothing less than the declared statement of the intention for the United States to consciously become the policeman and social ...

The Embarrassment and Illegality of the No-Fly Zones

by Jacob G. Hornberger November 21, 2002

President Bush's "zero tolerance" for Iraqi violations of UN resolutions has apparently dropped to "two percent tolerance." According to administration officials, Iraqi forces have once again fired on U.S. planes patrolling the no-fly zones in Iraq, which U.S. officials had previously claimed would constitute an immediate justification for invading Iraq, not ...

The Glass Houses of Dictators

by Jacob G. Hornberger November 18, 2002

President Bush’s reaction to the Iraqi parliament’s rejection of the newly enacted UN resolution authorizing renewed inspections in Iraq provides a fascinating insight into the direction in which our own nation is headed. According to the New York Times, President Bush said, “The Iraqi Parliament is nothing but a rubber stamp ...

I Need Provocation Now

by Sheldon Richman November 9, 2002

It’s shocking how the quality of America’s leaders has declined over the decades. Do you believe that the U.S. government is actually contemplating an unprovoked war against Iraq? Think about that: Iraq has staged no attack on the United States. You can’t count the firing on American military aircraft. That’s ...

Pawn Takes Knight

by Sheldon Richman November 9, 2002

Yeah, right. Even though Saddam Hussein has now agreed to unconditional weapons inspection, the world is going to support a U.S. war against Iraq because he hasn’t released his political prisoners or returned Kuwaiti property. Those acts of omission aren’t exactly the stuff of a global threat. It’s turning out that ...

Delayed Blowback in Indonesia

by Jacob G. Hornberger November 9, 2002

Indonesian reaction to the recent bomb blast in Bali that killed 180 people is another example of the consequences of U.S. interventionist policies. According to an article in the Nov. 7 issue of the New York Times, a common perception among educated Indonesians is that the CIA, not Islamic terrorists, set off ...

Some Nagging Questions

by Sheldon Richman October 29, 2002

Some things have been bugging me about President Bush’s efforts to plunge us into full-scale war against Iraq: If Saddam Hussein’s program to develop weapons of mass destruction is so secret, how did Mr. Bush get aerial photos of all those large above-ground buildings that allegedly house Iraq’s nuclear program? ...

Who’s Deterring Whom?

by Sheldon Richman October 7, 2002

The key word in analyzing the confrontation between the U.S. government and Saddam Hussein is “deterrence.” When we think of that word, we typically attach it to U.S. policies versus other governments. But I do not mean deterrence by the United States of Iraq. That would be nothing new. The ...

No Reason to Go to War

by Sheldon Richman October 7, 2002

The signals coming out of Washington about the impending war against Iraq are ominous. This is not only because it would be an unprovoked and undeclared war against a nation that has not attacked us, but also because of the new reasons being offered. The Bush administration tried its best ...

Listen to the Administration

by Sheldon Richman October 7, 2002

The United States will go to war against Iraq. But anyone who thinks the war will be motivated by evidence of Saddam Hussein’s attempt to procure and wish to use evil weapons will be mistaken. Despite the general claims that President Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair have as-yet ...

Bush, Rumsfeld, and Orwell

by Sheldon Richman October 1, 2002

It has long been clear that little of what government leaders say and do makes no sense unless you understand that they think we are idiots, uninformed, or both. Could there be better evidence than recent remarks by President Bush and Secretary of State Donald Rumsfeld? Let’s start with the much-admired Secretary ...