Israel’s Third-Rail Borders

Israel’s Third-Rail Borders

I don’t write much about the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians. Mainly, I think, it’s because writing about the Palestinians and Israelis is an exercise without profit. There’s no way to try to take a reasonable stand on the issues involved...
Wanted: Real U.S. Leadership

Wanted: Real U.S. Leadership

The world is transfixed as the unprecedented events in the Middle East and North Africa unfold. And foreign policy aficionados are equally transfixed as the U.S. government maneuvers between its stated values and sometimes short-sighted security policies. With...
War Gets Easier All the Time

War Gets Easier All the Time

War is lovely, Let’s attack; Only costs Could hold us back. It used to be that war was a really big deal. Conflicts such as Vietnam could tear the country apart. Times have changed, with decisions on war quickly becoming back-page stuff. Our wars were scarcely...

Crossing the Lexicon

Osama bin Laden’s demise raises many moral, legal, political, and historical questions. As I’ve edited and posted a steady stream of commentary about this post-9/11 milestone, one persistent editorial question has touched on all these issues. Specifically,...

The Game is Changing in Iran

Last year, a powerful computer virus called “Stuxnet” targeted Iran’s nuclear program. By the time it was discovered, the virus had succeeded in setting back the country’s nuclear progress. Now, Iran claims to have identified a new threat. The...