Entries Tagged as 'Weekly Articles'

Monday, June 7th, 2010

Chavez-Ahmadinejad coziness spells misery for Venezuelans

The growing coziness between the leaders of Venezuela and Iran should send a troubling signal to all Venezuelans — especially the diminishing but still strong segment that clings to President Hugo Chavez.
Do they not understand the disadvantages of a leader who ties himself to a regime in Tehran that is incurring global wrath and sanctions [...]

Wednesday, March 31st, 2010

Bombings raise questions about Russia’s long-term security

In the aftermath of the Moscow subway bombings that killed or injured more than 100 people — punctuated by deadly subsequent attacks in Russia’s North Caucasus region — questions proliferate:
Who were the perpetrators? What were their goals? Are the incidents connected? Do the bombings portend a resurgence of terrorist violence in Russia? Will Prime [...]

Friday, March 12th, 2010

The need for no-phone zones

VANCOUVER, British Columbia — Upon arriving here, I was relieved to have a break from the barrage of cell-phone and landline calls, e-mails, instant messages, tweets, texts and the like in my daily life. However, I failed to escape what has become one of my biggest pet peeves — the widespread, inappropriate use of hand-held [...]

Monday, March 1st, 2010

Security at Olympics and beyond

VANCOUVER, British Columbia — After devoting the single greatest part of my time to security most days at the 2010 Winter Olympics, I had to ask myself: Was it worth it? Would I willingly repeat the experience at future events of this kind?
Unequivocally, yes.

Monday, February 15th, 2010

What’s next for Iran’s opposition

The Iranian government’s vicious crackdown on protests during recent celebrations of the country’s revolution — which stymied organizers’ plans — has tempted some analysts to conclude that the opposition is faltering. My sentiments reflect another view that could not disagree more, that of Iranian Nobel laureate Shirin Ebadi. She maintains that the opposition secured a [...]

Monday, January 18th, 2010

Obama’s one-year report card

As the Obama administration enters its second year, evaluations range from the extremely positive to the exceedingly negative. Looking for a balanced, informed perspective from a veteran presidential-studies specialist, I turned to Georgetown University’s Stephen J. Wayne, the author of “The Road to the White House 2008″ and a forthcoming book on President Barack Obama.

Thursday, January 14th, 2010

What will Haiti be like 20 years from now?

Nature has a way of delivering some of its most devastating blows to those who already suffer disproportionately, as happened during Haiti’s tragic earthquake. It will take weeks, maybe months, to account for those who are lost and evaluate the full extent of the damage.
Fortunately, through the efforts of many, the most needed items — [...]

Monday, December 21st, 2009

Where we stand in the war against terror

WASHINGTON — Since 9-11, Americans have been rightly concerned about how the numbers stack up in the struggle against terrorism. Whether one calls it a war or something else, a sense of direction is not just necessary but vital.
Along those lines, a new report — “Are We Winning?” — by the bipartisan American Security Project, [...]

Monday, November 30th, 2009

A wake-up call to get serious about security

The uninvited-guest problem at President Barack Obama’s recent White House state dinner strikes me as more than a mere security lapse. If we were living in a perfect world and no existential threat to the United States presented itself, a publicity-seeking party-crasher at such an event might be dismissed as a minor concern, even an [...]

Monday, November 23rd, 2009

We must remain vigilant about WMD

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — In the debate over terrorism, weapons of mass destruction and the threat they present to America’s communities, retired U.S. Air Force Col. Randall Larsen says we may stand in the way of our own safety. This happens, according to him, because we typically pose the wrong questions.
Instead of asking how to [...]