Today’s NY Times prominently highlights a speech by retired Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez, ex-Commander of US forces in Iraq, in which he is deeply critical of the conduct of the Iraq War. The Times summarizes Sanchez’s speech in its lede … Continue reading →
This fairly straightforward article in the NY Times headlined “U.S. investigates civilian toll in airstrike, but holds insurgents responsible” describes a recent raid in Iraq that killed nineteen of the enemy who were the targets but also inadvertently led to … Continue reading →
Here’s an interesting summary of events in Iraq so far, bound to infuriate those who believe the whole thing is obviously a failed enterprise. The annoyances begin with its title, “Mission Accomplished,” harking back to that infamous banner on the … Continue reading →
Al Gore has won the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize. And just what has Gore done lately to advance world peace? Nothing, really. But the Peace Prize has become a sort of worldwide Miss Congeniality contest in recent years, when it’s … Continue reading →
Some time ago I wrote an essay on Clive Wearing, the British musician and conductor who contracted a disease twenty years ago that left him with only his short-term memory. His adjustment has been long and difficult, his disability profound—trapped … Continue reading →
I wrote a while back that the Sanity Squad would be resuming our podcasts for PJ very soon. So, why the delay? It turns out that Pajamas is revamping its general podcast policy and posting methods, so the whole thing … Continue reading →
One of Bush’s less well-publicized roles is to pay condolence calls on families of soldiers who have been killed in the war. To date, he has visited: …more than 1,500 relatives of the 4,255 American troops who have lost their … Continue reading →
Michael Hirsh, who thinks Giuliani is suspect for cozying up too much to those nasty, unpopular neocons, offers an interesting quote in his recent Newsweek piece [emphasis mine]: [Giuliani]’s positioning himself as the neo-neocon,” jokes Richard Holbrooke, a top foreign-policy … Continue reading →
My Lai was the template. A bona fide atrocity (see this for the complete My Lai story), it not only made the name of journalist Seymour Hersh and won him his coveted Pulitzer, but it profoundly shocked the American public … Continue reading →
Patrick Desbois is a French priest with a special calling: he has dedicated himself to documenting the mass murders of Ukrainian Jews by the Nazis during World War II, committed in the days before the efficiency of gas chamber and … Continue reading →
I saw her walking ahead of me on a sidewalk in New York, and I knew immediately. She had the long hair, slicked back into a slightly damp ponytail. The large soft bag, slung over the shoulder. The small stature … Continue reading →
When I decided to call myself neo-neocon, I was only vaguely aware of how much hatred the term engenders. But many trolls and hate mail letters later, I’m far better informed on that score. I’ve done my bit to explain … Continue reading →