… give or take
// The primary reason the United States invaded Afghanistan in the first place was to fight Al Qaeda and its Islamist allies, particularly the Taliban. Ten years later, now that Al Qaeda in Afghanistan and Pakistan has been dramatically weakened, America ostensibly has the luxury of considering significant troop reductions in the region. Needless to [...]
Bret Stephens opined recently in the Wall Street Journal that the cause of Islamic terrorism is not so much Israeli settlements or the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestine as it is… Lady Gaga. Specifically, Stephens points to Said Qutb, widely regarded as the intellectual father of modern Al Qaeda and other Islamist groups: In his [...]
// The recent resurgence of Chechen- and North Caucasus-related terrorism on Monday and Wednesday of this week points to the deep unresolved issues between Russia and its tiny region. Like in any situation of rebellion and civil strife, the short term details of the violence are sure to be complex. But the essential dynamics remain [...]
// As the body scanners are rolled out in US airports in the coming days, it’s worth asking the same question I asked about racial profiling: will it work? A simple, yet extremely important and profound question. Similar to racial profiling, the public debate has largely focused on such issues as privacy or cost. But, [...]
// The idea of a “war on terror” was created after September 11th by political leaders seeking to rally the country, and responding to an unprecedented attack on the United States. It made sense for a little while. Then, when reason and clearheadedness came back on the scene, and emotion and passion receded back to [...]
