Foreign Policy News and Commentary Update October 10, 2007

Forewarned Is Forearmed: Bush On Iran - R. J. Eidelson
http://www.juancole.com/2007/10/forewarned-is-forearmed-bush-on-iran.html

AMERICA SHOULD HIRE AL-QAEDA'S PR AGENT - MATT ARMSTRONG (GOOD MAGAZINE,
OCTOBER):
http://www.goodmagazine.com/section/Provocations/america_should_hire_al-qaedas_pr_agent

BLACKWATER?' SILVER LINING? PATRICIA H. KUSHLIS (WHIRLED VIEW, OCTOBER 8):
Could State cancel the contract based on Blackwater's bad behavior and use the
funds to increase the size and responsibilities of D/S [State Department
Security] Or would this be advisable? After all, the number of D/S personnel is
already double that of all of State's approximately 700 public diplomacy
officers -- posted at home and abroad.
http://whirledview.typepad.com/whirledview/2007/10/blackwaters-sil.html

DOING DIALOGUE IN CAIRO MARC LYNCH (ABU AARDVARK, OCTOBER 7): "[L]ast week
I flew to Cairo, where I spent four intense days of meetings and discussions
with more than 25 people. ... The discussions were ... valuable . ... Many of
the M[USLIM] B[ROTHERHOOD] leaders are clearly keen to be better understood in
the West, and bitter over what they see as misconceptions about them. I tried to
push back against their understanding of what this entailed, which actually
reminded me of nothing more than the Bush administration's concept of public
diplomacy: they see the problem lying primarily in misunderstandings on the
other side, so the problem is to better explain themselves and correct these
false impressions."
http://abuaardvark.typepad.com/abuaardvark/2007/10/doing-dialogue-.html

BLOGS TARGET JIHADIS ONLINE - AUDREY HUDSON (WASHINGTON TIMES, OCTOBER 10):
The cybersleuths focus most of their attention on bloggers who use servers in
the U.S. to post recruitment propaganda and show violent videos of American
servicemembers being killed. Once located, they encourage people to contact the
service providers to shut down the Web sites.
http://www.washingtontimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071010/NATION/110100083/1001&template=printart

U.S. MUST FACE HUGE DEATH TOLL OF IRAQI CIVILIANS - GILBERT BURNHAM AND LES
ROBERTS (BALTIMORESUN.COM, OCTOBER 9)
www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/oped/bal-op.iraqdead09oct09,0,6936773.story

US SAYS IT WON'T BUY EMBASSY 'TURKEY' - MATTHEW LEE, ASSOCIATED PRESS
(WASHINGTON POST, OCTOBER 9): The State Department vowed Tuesday to hold
contractors accountable for delays and construction problems with the massive
new U.S. Embassy in Iraq, saying it would not pay for "a turkey."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/10/09/AR2007100901327_pf.html

ACCOUNTABILITY ON THE BATTLEFIELD EDITORIAL (NEW YORK TIMES, OCTOBER 8):
By insulating contractors from liability, the administration has placed an
unacceptable burden on the American mission, undermining the essential goal of
winning Iraqis' trust. Congress's ultimate goal should be to stop the use of
contractors for combat-type tasks. Until it does, it is essential that the
private forces that remain in Iraq be made accountable for their actions.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/08/opinion/08mon2.html?n=Top/Opinion/Editorials%20and%20Op-Ed/Editorials&pagewanted=print

AN UNCERTAIN FATE FOR THE WHISTLEBLOWERS WHO TOOK ON STATE DEPARTMENT'S
INSPECTOR GENERAL: THE BLACKWATER INVESTIGATION HAS FUELED CONTROVERSY ABOUT
MILITARY CONTRACTORS' ABUSES IN IRAQ. BUT IT HAS ALSO RAISED QUESTIONS ABOUT
WHERE GOVERNMENT WHISTLEBLOWERS CAN TURN FOR PROTECTION - BRIAN BEUTLER (MOTHER
JONES, OCTOBER 5)
http://www.motherjones.com/cgi-bin/print_article.pl?url=http://www.motherjones.com/washington_dispatch/2007/10/uncertain_fate_state_department_whistleblowers.html

AL QAEDA'S WAR OF VILLAGES: SIGNS THAT THE TERRORISTS ARE LOSING IN IRAQ -
OMAR FADHIL (OPINION JOURNAL FROM THE WALL STREET JOURNAL EDITORIAL PAGE,
OCTOBER 8)
http://www.opinionjournal.com/federation/feature/?id=110010704

BIDEN'S GUTSY PROPOSAL FOR IRAQ - SCOT LEHIGH, (BOSTON GLOBE, OCTOBER 10):
Delaware Senator Joe Biden's isn't a partition plan. Further, the Iraq
constitution permits just such a federalized system. Nor is the idea to impose
such an arrangement, but rather to work with the UN, Iraq, and its neighbors to
promote decentralization.
http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2007/10/10/bidens_gutsy_proposal_for_iraq?mode=PF

EVEN THE BRITISH ARE LEAVING IRAQ: WITH THE 'COALITION OF THE WILLING'
BREATHING ITS LAST, THE U.S. SHOULD TAKE NOTE OF HOW TO FORM A REALISTIC EXIT
STRATEGY EDITORIAL (LOS ANGELES TIMES, OCTOBER 9): The United States should
recognize that it is a delusion to believe that any foreign occupier can stop
Iraqi factions hellbent on fighting for power. We owe the Iraqis our best
efforts at mediation, but to insist on stability as a prerequisite for
withdrawal is to commit to indefinite and fruitless military occupation.
http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-ed-basra9oct09,0,6119003.story?coll=la-opinion-leftrail

THE PARANOID WITHDRAWAL FANTASY; WHY IRAQ IS NOT CAMBODIA, MR. PRESIDENT.
http://www.salon.com/opinion/paglia/2007/10/10/britney/print.html

IRAN, THE DECIDER, AND THE ENABLERS - DAVID BROMWICH (HUFFINGTON POST,
OCTOBER 9): Diplomacy, to Bush, is one of those words you had to learn to say in
school, like "serious consideration" and "concerted effort." There isn't any
glamour in it, no kick. He intends to bomb Iran.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-bromwich/iran-the-decider-and-th_b_67706.html

SY HERSH'S OVERACTIVE IMAGINATION: WAR WITH IRAN HAS NOW BEEN IMMINENT FOR
AT LEAST 18 MONTHS - THOMAS JOSCELYN (WEEKLY STANDARD, OCTOBER 9)
http://www.weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/000/000/014/206aemvk.asp

LET'S HELP THE LEBANESE IN FIGHT FOR DEMOCRACY BY FIRAS MAKSAD
(BALTIMORESUN.COM, OCTOBER 10): Lebanon needs a new president. The United States
and the international community have a responsibility to help Lebanon secure its
democracy by ensuring that an open and fair political process can produce one.
www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/oped/bal-op.lebanon10oct10,0,6591816.story

AS MIDEAST REALIGNS, US LEANS SUNNI: THE WHITE HOUSE IS REEMBRACING SUNNI
AUTHORITARIAN REGIMES TO COUNTER THE RISE OF SHIITE IRAN - HOWARD LAFRANCHI
(CHRISTIAN SCIENCE MONITOR, OCTOBER 9):
http://www.csmonitor.com/2007/1009/p01s01-usfp.html

THE STAKES AT MIDEAST SUMMIT EDITORIAL (BOSTON GLOBE, OCTOBER 8): There
are many reasons to be skeptical about next month's Mideast peace conference in
Annapolis, Md. But there here is a chance to make the conference a success.
http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/editorials/articles/2007/10/08/the_stakes_at_mideast_summit?mode=PF

CLOUDS OVER KOREA - RICHARD HALLORAN (WASHINGTON TIMES, OCTOBER 9): The
history of dealing with North Korea over six decades justifies a dose of
skepticism. That path is strewn with North Korean deception, lies, broken
promises, assassinations and attempted assassinations, kidnappings, other
violence, and no small amount of belligerent bluster.
http://www.washingtontimes.com/article/20071009/COMMENTARY/110090010/1012/commentary

A NEW COURSE FOR KOREA - LEON V. SIGAL (BOSTON GLOBE, OCTOBER 10): It took a
nuclear test by North Korea a year ago today to turn President Bush around, but
his change of course on North Korea is already yielding dividends -- and not
just in reversing the North's nuclear weapons programs. It is also opening the
way to peace in Korea and improved security for all of Northeast Asia.
http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2007/10/10/a_new_course_for_korea?mode=PF

PRESIDENT GENERAL EDITORIAL (BALTIMORESUN.COM, OCTOBER 10): Better than
cutting deals with Ms. Bhutto and with his generals and with Washington, Mr.
Musharraf should be thinking of ways to restore Pakistan's admittedly
intermittent democracy
www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/editorial/bal-ed.pakistan10oct10,0,1214463.story

PUTIN CALLS FOR FEWER FOREIGNERS IN BUSINESS - ASSOCIATED PRESS (MOSCOW
TIMES, OCTOBER 10): Putin has repeatedly emphasized that Russia no longer needs
to rely on foreign aid and advice as it did during the troubled years following
the 1991 Soviet collapse.
http://www.moscowtimes.ru/stories/2007/10/10/017.html

A TORTURED STANCE ON TORTURE - H.D.S. GREENWAY (BOSTON GLOBE, OCTOBER 9):
The long-range problem with the Bush administration's efforts to subvert
national and international bans on torture is that it hurts us deeply in the
struggle against Islamic extremism. It revolts the conscience of the world,
which makes it harder for the West to convince Muslims that we are not the enemy
of Islam. It encourages converts to Al Qaeda. It stays the hand of moderate
Muslims who may otherwise want to cooperate with us. It undermines our
international standing and our national security.
http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2007/10/09/a_tortured_stance_on_torture?mode=PF

BUSH'S FEEBLE TORTURE DODGE - DAN FROOMKIN (WASHINGTONPOST.COM, OCTOBER 9):
By now, Bush's insistence that "we don't torture" has become a perverse
tautology: It doesn't mean that we don't torture; it just means that if we do
it, he doesn't call it torture.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/blog/2007/10/09/BL2007100900988_pf.html

SO BE IT? BRET STEPHENS (WALL STREET JOURNAL, OCTOBER 9): Torture is a
word that preserves its moral force only when used precisely and consistently to
denote uniquely barbarous acts.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB119189212265752948.html?mod=todays_us_opinion
PAID SUBSCRIPTION

CIA PROGRAM IS TOUGH BUT LEGAL, AND IT DOES NOT INCLUDE TORTURE - FRAN
TOWNSEND (USA TODAY, OCTOBER 10)
http://blogs.usatoday.com/oped/2007/10/opposing-view-1.html#more

FROM MILITARY DISASTER TO MORAL HIGH GROUND - TONY JUDT (NEW YORK TIMES,
OCTOBER 7): The next time someone waxes lyrical for armed overseas intervention
in the name of liberal ideals or 'defining struggles,' remember what Albert
Camus had to say about his fellow intellectuals' propensity for encouraging
violence to others at a safe distance from themselves.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/07/opinion/07judt.html?n=Top/Opinion/Editorials%20and%20Op-Ed/Op-Ed/Contributors&pagewanted=print