The State Department statement was relatively brief: "The Secretary [of State Hillary Rodham Clinton] is pleased to announce the appointment of Dennis B. Ross to the position of Special Advisor to the Secretary of State for The Gulf and Southeast Asia." Which "Gulf?" Gulf of Mexico? Gulf of Aqaba? Gulf...

Iran will hold her presidential elections on June 12. Even though the campaigns have not officially begun, the elections are already the most important subject of political discussions in Iran, and in the Iranian community in the diaspora. But, Iranians are not the only ones who have a stake in...

While in December and January the world focused on the clash between Israel and the Palestinians and the carnage in Gaza, gross violations of human rights were also taking place in another region of the Middle East, namely, Iran.

Since the election of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as Iran's president in June...

My Lord, give me the capability to tolerate an opposing point of view. Help me so that I may be aware of the differences between humanity, thoughts, and relationships, and so that I may be capable of distinguishing each of them. Inspire me with the piety of rebellion so that...

It is probably the greatest understatement of 2008 to say that many progressives in the Obama coalition, who played a crucial role in his victory, have been greatly disappointed with his national security team (NST). I do not wish to rehash all the discussions about Obama's NST by the progressives,...

Ever since President-Elect Barack Obama became a serious candidate for the Democratic Party's nomination for the presidency, the right and the ultraright, the Fox News, and the ill-informed segment of the population which follows Fox's "fair and balanced" news and analysis used Mr. Obama's middle name and the fact that...

In the first two parts of this series, posted on Monday and Tuesday, I described John McCain supposed expertise on and experience with foreign affairs, and the results of the Middle East policy of the Bush administration that he has so strongly supported. In this article - the last of...

In Part I of this series that was posted yesterday, I described John McCain's confusion about important facts in the Middle East, but his clarity and determination when it comes to waging wars there. Needless to say, the combination of the two is extremely dangerous.

In this article I would...

We are in the home stretch of the presidential elections. Although the economy has dominated the discussions since mid-September, foreign policy and how to deal with several important crises around the world will be at the top of the next president's agenda come January. Before the collapse of the stock...

In his excellent book, The Prosecution of George W. Bush for Murder, former Los Angeles County Assistant District Attorney Vincent Bugliosi argued forcefully for putting President Bush on trial for murder. But, that has not happened.

On June 9, 2008, Cleveland Congressman Dennis Kucinich introduced a 35-count resolution for impeaching...

The price of oil has gone through the roof. The gasoline price has skyrocketed, reaching as high as nearly $5/gallon, before receding to its current price of just above $4/gallon. But, that is not the end of this gloomy picture. The price of natural gas has also gone up greatly,...

The price of gasoline has gone through the roof. The housing market has collapsed, with so many people losing their homes. The official unemployment rate is 5.5% -- with the true rate being closer to 8%. The price of food stuff has increased dramatically. For all practical purposes the economy...

Two bipartisan Resolutions that are being widely construed as tantamount to a declaration of war on Iran are expected to be voted on by both houses of the U.S. Congress this week.

U.S. House of Representatives Resolution (HR 362) and Senate Resolution (SR 580), while non-binding and explicitly stating that...