World - Page 341 of 341

Open Mike Catches Bush Blaming Syria for Hezbollah Escalation

Staff / Truthdig Jul 17, 2006 At the G8 summit for world leaders, President Bush was caught on a live microphone telling Tony Blair that he held Syria accountable for Hezbollah's actions against Israel "What they need to do is get Syria to get Hezbollah to stop doing this shit and it's over," Bush told Blair while chewing on a buttered roll Important: This is not a hypocrisy alert Bush's unguarded statements were for the most part consistent with his public ones But it's still a fascinating glimpse into his manner of interaction with America's closest ally Article Best video/audio/transcript combo: CNNcom (The video link "The sh_t hear 'round the world" in the center of the page--not linkable)Blogger reaction: The Carpetbagger Report: "The president often comes across as an unsophisticated simpleton in publicbut incidents like thissuggest Bush is even less impressive in private Juan Cole: Bush's comments "astonishingly simple-minded" . Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )

Middle East

The Occupation of Iraqi Hearts and Minds

Nir Rosen / Truthdig Jun 28, 2006 Truthdig contributor Nir Rosen, an American reporter who has lived for the last three years in Iraq and who can pass as Middle Eastern, describes what it's like to live under the boot of a culturally callous -- and sometimes criminal -- occupying force in Iraq. Dig deeper ( 21 Min. Read )

Middle East

The Many Faces of Abu Musab al Zarqawi

Nir Rosen / Truthdig Jun 10, 2006 He led Al Qaeda in Iraq, but who was he? What drove Zarqawi to his murderous ends? And what can we learn from his death? Nir Rosen, one of the only Western journalists to have reported extensively from inside the Iraqi insurgency, lays out some answers. Acclaimed Iraq journalist Nir Rosen explores the life, death and intellectual underpinnings of the terrorist who led Al Qaeda in Iraq. Dig deeper ( 18 Min. Read )

TD Original

The Forgotten Wounded of Iraq

Ron Kovic / Truthdig Jan 18, 2006 Ron Kovic, veteran of the Vietnam War and author of the reissued classic "Born on the Fourth of July," writes a compelling and empathetic piece on his personal experiences and concerns for a new generation of veterans returning from war. Ron Kovic provides a personal account of his wounding in war, a plea for peace, and expresses his concerns for a new generation of veterans returning from Iraq. Dig deeper ( 9 Min. Read )

TD Original

A New Ally for the Latin American Left

Marc Cooper / Truthdig Jan 9, 2006 Since the original posting of the piece, in early December, events have moved very quickly in South America. Marc Cooper has provided an update. Dig deeper ( 4 Min. Read )

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The Big Blowup Over Venezuela

Marc Cooper / Truthdig Dec 14, 2005 Update: Hugo Chavez and the Latin American left picked up an important new ally when, a few weeks ago, peasant leader Evo Morales (shown at right here) was elected as president of Bolivia. What's all the fuss over Hugo Chavez? Marc Cooper examines the mercurial leader and his contentious relations with the Bush administration. Dig deeper ( 16 Min. Read )

In Response to…

Orville Schell / Truthdig Dec 3, 2005 I would agree that things in China have gone far better than anyone predicted during the dark post-1989 days But, what explains that success? Good visionary planning? Strong leadership? A national psyche exhausted by any kind of turmoil? Good luck? The danger is that even the best economy tends to be cyclical, and it is far from clear that China has the political legitimacy, deeply enough rooted political institutions, or shared set of values to help it survive a downturn As to Wintermute and whether Taiwan is worth fighting for I personally do not believe that any functioning democracy is worth throwing over the side to keep some other sort of the peace - commercial or otherwise We Americans forget. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )

TD Original

In Response to…

Orville Schell / Truthdig Dec 3, 2005 Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )

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China: Boom or Boomerang

Orville Schell / Truthdig Dec 3, 2005 At the same time that China is recording huge increases in trade surpluses and currency reserves, deadly riots are breaking out on the outskirts of some of the country's largest cities. In this Dig, scholar Orville Schell challenges the current wisdom about China being an inevitable superpower and unstoppable economic force.Schell challenges the current wisdom that China is an inevitable superpower and unstoppable economic force. Dig deeper ( 16 Min. Read )

It’s War, Not Hollywood

John Crawford / Truthdig Nov 30, 2005 "Off to War" shows real soldiers and their families struggling to deal with the U.S. occupation of Iraq. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )

Inside Chavez’s Venezuela

Sharmini Peries Nov 30, 2005 Sharmini Peries, foreign policy advisor to Venezuela President Hugo Chavez, talks about Latin America's most contentious leader -- and thorn in Washington's side -- since Fidel Castro. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )