Smart news and commentary… where Paris and Brittany only appear as travel destinations. By EU-based, US journalist Denis Campbell and colleagues.

Posts Tagged ‘Iraq’

OK Condi I’ve Had It

By Denis Campbell • Aug 14th, 2008 • Category: Reflections

You’ve flown around under the radar landing top job after top job (Citgo (who named a tanker after you), Stanford, NSC advisor, and now State) and all one ever hears or sees is an empty dress suit. Your fairy tale assertion that Russia will somehow be isolated because of Georgia is another indication you are [...]



Georgia on My Mind

By Denis Campbell • Aug 12th, 2008 • Category: Politics

Memo to Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili: just because Mr. Putin looks comfortable sitting and waving at the Olympic Opening ceremonies, don’t assume he is not paying attention. Whatever you do sir, don’t mess with the Big Dog.
Your attempt to assert authority over your own land thinking the bored guy sitting next to him wondering when [...]



Kuwait Tipped Off By Cheney: War With Iran Is Coming

By Charley James • Aug 12th, 2008 • Category: Features

Investigative journalist Charley James offers this detailed opinion piece looking at the growing possibilty of US military action in Iran.
By Charley James
After being quietly notified by officials in Dick Cheney’s office, Kuwait – situated between Iraq, Iran and an un-enviable geographic hard place on the northern end of the Persian Gulf – has activated its [...]



Why John?

By Denis Campbell • Aug 6th, 2008 • Category: Politics

You promised a clean campaign. You pledged to bring honour and dignity to the campaign trail. You wanted the campaign to be about real issues facing real people.
Is it because you ran a dignified campaign in ’00 and were brutally blind-sided by the thugs running the Bush/Rove/Cheney campaign? Does your party honestly believe this will [...]



The Race Card

By Denis Campbell • Aug 6th, 2008 • Category: Lead Story

With 90-days to go, Swiftboating Season has begun in earnest as charges and counter-charges by each candidate’s camp of injecting race into the election turned the current US Presidential race into that of a popularity contest for high school class president. No. I must apologise. That characterisation demeans the thousands of young students who prepare [...]



Mandatory Baghdad Foreign Service Tours

By Denis Campbell • Jul 22nd, 2008 • Category: Politics

(Reprise article)
The State Department is warning U.S. diplomats they may be forced to serve in Iraq next year and says it will soon start identifying prime candidates for jobs at the Baghdad embassy and outlying provinces, according to a cable obtained by The Associated Press.
First one must applaud members of the Foreign Service for their [...]



War ‘Cred’ Mojo Baby

By Denis Campbell • Jul 16th, 2008 • Category: Features

Yesterday the candidates fought before the cameras to show who has the best Austin Powers war Mojo baby (growwwwllllll, smile). War Credibility. Who’s got it, who needs it, who wants it? Who cares? We’re about to replace a draft-dodging ‘pretender’-in-chief who led us into war on false pretences and will do/say anything to show it [...]



My Plan for Iraq

By Denis Campbell • Jul 16th, 2008 • Category: Reflections

By Barack Obama
Published: July 14, 2008
The New York Times Online
CHICAGO — The call by Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki for a timetable for the removal of American troops from Iraq presents an enormous opportunity. We should seize this moment to begin the phased redeployment of combat troops that I have long advocated, and that is [...]



The Spring, 2008 Irrelevancy Tour

By Denis Campbell • Jun 16th, 2008 • Category: Features

The George W. and Laura Bush EU farewell tour continued yesterday in the UK. After tea with Her Majesty at Windsor Castle, it was time for a lavish dinner with Gordon Brown at Number 10 Downing Street where the main topic was please, don’t pull your troops out of Iraq before my term ends. Prime [...]



One Historic Night, Two Americas

By Denis Campbell • Jun 8th, 2008 • Category: Reflections

NYT ONline Op-Ed
By FRANK RICH
Published: June 8, 2008
WHEN Barack Obama achieved his historic victory on Tuesday night, the battle was joined between two Americas. Not John Edwards’s two Americas, divided between rich and poor. Not the Americas split by race, gender, party or ideology. What looms instead is an epic showdown between two wildly different [...]