‘Get it Done’ – Peggy Noonan, Wall Street Journal
In the lives of interesting people, there are bound to be interesting events. This is about one in the life of Gen. David Petraeus, commander of U.S. troops in Iraq. Gen. Petraeus of course will be all over television in September, reporting to Congress on the war, and America will be getting used to him. He is not in an easy position. The left and most Democrats are invested in the idea of Iraq as disaster. The right and most Republicans placed their bets on the president and the decision to invade. Normal Americans just want Iraq handled. They want America to succeed: for the war to end in a way and time that prove if possible that the Iraq endeavor helped the world, or us, or didn't make things worse for the world, or us. My hunch: The American people have concluded the war was a mistake, but know from their own lives that mistakes can be salvaged, and sometimes turned to good.
Remembering Partition – Fred Kaplan, Slate
Next week marks the 60th anniversary of the partition of India. Two new books on the subject—Yasmin Khan's The Great Partition and Alex von Tunzelmann's Indian Summer—are reviewed in recent issues of the Economist and The New Yorker, respectively. And though neither review mentions today's Iraq, (except, at most, in passing), the parallels are ominous and inescapable. Anyone who believes that U.S. troops can simply and suddenly leave Iraq without risk of unleashing great horror—or who regards religious or ethnic partition as a solution instead of a desperate ploy—should look back at the summer of 1947, when the British Empire packed up and India fulfilled its "tryst with destiny" (as Jawaharlal Nehru described its awakening to independence), only to plunge into a monstrous spree of ethnic cleansing (12 million people uprooted, as many as 1 million murdered) that continues to take its toll today.
Progress in Iraq – Phil Gingrey, Washington Times
I am currently in the Middle East on a fact-finding mission for the House Armed Services Committee, in advance of Gen. David Petraeus's September report on our progress in Iraq. I have traveled to Iraq on three previous occasions — I was here, in fact, just five days after U.S. forces captured Saddam Hussein in December of 2003 — but I have never been in the combat zone at such a critical and momentous time. Just two days ago, I had the opportunity to meet with Gen. Petraeus at his home. Although I cannot reveal the specific military details he shared during our meeting, due to the ongoing risk to our troops, I can share that his September progress report may be far more positive than what the far left expect.
Just another Vacation from Reality – Eugene Robinson, Washington Post
You might have thought that now isn't the most opportune time for the elected leaders of both the United States and Iraq to pack up and head to the beach, ranch or villa for a nice long vacation. Silly you. You probably reasoned that with 162,000 U.S. troops sweltering in the war zone, with the Iraqi government fracturing along sectarian lines and with what is billed as a make-or-break report from the U.S. commander, Gen. David H. Petraeus, due next month, maybe tradition ought to be ignored and the summer heat withstood just this once. You doubtless pointed out that no matter how uncomfortable triple-digit temperatures might be for the grandees of Washington and Baghdad, soldiers burdened with body armor and combat boots -- and the constant threat of getting shot or blown up -- have it a bit worse.
Iraq Works Slowly on Developing a Process - Kevin Ferris, Philadelphia Inquirer
The summer recess of Iraq's parliament sent a worrisome signal to Americans concerned about U.S. troops bearing more than their share of the war's burdens. So it's up to the high-level elected officials left behind to send a different signal: They are ready to move on benchmarks designed to promote national reconciliation, including provincial elections, de-Baathification, and a plan to share oil revenue. Gen. David Petraeus, commander of multinational forces in Iraq, would like to see signs of such readiness emerge from meetings scheduled for next week, though he recognizes the difficulty of the task ahead.
Strategic Patience – Austin Bay, Washington Times
According to major media, America's "surge in Iraq" is suddenly working. Is the surge working? Militarily, the surge represents a change in operational emphasis and in tactical employment of U.S. and coalition troops. The United States has increased the "level of presence" in Iraqi neighborhoods. Statistics suggest attacks have declined since April, but short-term statistics are subject to debate. An observation in Robert Burns' report may be more telling than the numbers: "Commanders [in Iraq] are encouraged by signs that more Iraqis are growing fed up with violence." A sign of war fatigue? Possibly — but murder fatigue is more apt.
'Forget Iraq, Think Afghanistan' - Con Coughlin, London Daily Telegraph
Forget Iraq, think Afghanistan. In the six weeks since Gordon Brown became Prime Minister, the government has moved deftly to change the entire focus of its campaign to defeat global terrorism. Aware that the mere mention of Britain's involvement in the Iraq conflict is guaranteed to provoke the ire of Labour activists, the Brown camp is doing everything in its power to create the impression that the chaotic security situation currently prevailing in that benighted country is none of its responsibility, and that the sooner British troops are withdrawn, the better. Instead, the Brownites prefer to concentrate their energy on promoting the case for Britain's continued involvement in Afghanistan, which, they argue, has a more legitimate claim to be the front line in what was not so long ago known as the war on terror.
No Betrayals – Washington Times editorial
It is too late for the estimated 250 Iraqi translators who have been murdered as "collaborators" since working with U.S. forces. It is not too late for thousands of others. Those who have partnered with British or American forces and thus risk kidnapping, torture or worse deserve a credible assurance of forthcoming visas, now, to relocate their families to the West once this war is over. Newly installed British Prime Minister Gordon Brown came to wisdom this week after news that 91 translators currently in British employment fear the worst. His government will review their cases and, we expect, rush them to the head of the line. Failure here means hanging the very people who have risked it all for the mission. That is no message for U.S. and British allies and sources in Iraq, or anywhere.
Darfur Delay no Option - Boston Herald editorial
The world weeps at the horror that has been taking place in Darfur. The world weeps, but will the nations of the world contribute to efforts to bring peace? The world weeps, but will it act? An estimated 26,000 troops are needed for the U.N.-authorized peacekeeping mission. The government of Sudan has thus far insisted they be troops from other African nations - a condition U.S. envoy Andrew Natsios says will be impossible to meet. Objections of the Sudanese government to a force that includes non-African troops notwithstanding, it is time the world came to to the aid of Darfur - not just with rallies and marches, but with real help. Delay is not an option.
A Date Certain on Darfur – Michael Gerson, Washington Post
After four years of brutal raids, ethnic cleansing and systematic rape in Darfur, Sudan -- and nearly three years after the Bush administration declared this a genocide-- the U.N. Security Council has finally approved a credible peacekeeping force. For 2 million displaced people in the camps, this is a wisp of hope on the horizon. For the 200,000 dead, it comes too late. The most disturbing part of the latest U.N. negotiations was the continued leverage exercised by the regime in Khartoum, which has a long history of mass killing. In the polished manners of the United Nations, blood on your hands is not a disqualification for a seat at the diplomatic table. With the expected help of China, and the disappointing support of France and Britain, the Sudanese envoy weakened the mandate of the peacekeeping force -- no weapons are to be seized from the militias -- and removed the threat of sanctions if Khartoum fails to cooperate. The regime protested that its "sovereignty" over the people of Darfur must be respected -- which is really the sovereignty of lions over the herds they hunt.
Election Rewards Islamist Moderation - San Diego Union-Tribune editorial
Turkey's recent parliamentary elections demonstrated, once again, that Muslim and democracy are not mutually exclusive terms. That's good news for Turks, for the Middle East and for the West, all of which benefit from the continuing example of a stable, democratic and pro-Western Turkey. Turkey's moderately Islamist Justice and Development Party (Turkish acronym, AK) won a resounding victory, garnering 47 percent of the vote in a multiparty field and 341 seats in Turkey's 550-member parliament. Turnout was an impressive 85 percent, which would shame most Western countries.
Promoting Jihad, Targeting Free Speech – Diana West, Washington Times
Remember when we heard that if only our leaders had known how to "connect the dots," the September 11 attacks could have been prevented? After nearly six years without a similar attack, the government has learned much about detecting the outlines of jihadist terror plots before they take shape. As a result, and after all the aggravations and humiliations of what I still hope are temporary safety procedures, our security has remained essentially intact. But can we say the same thing about our freedoms? At this point, I must interrupt this column to apologize to all leftists settling in for a juicy tirade against the Patriot Act, wiretaps for terrorists, or the sufferings of sensitive poets in residence at Guantanamo Bay. It is not the Bush administration's efforts to protect us from "terror" (more maturely known as jihad) that compromise our freedoms, it is jihad itself. And the basic freedom to discuss, analyze, debate, imagine, and, therefore, resist jihad is now under unprecedented assault.
Tips for Terror – New York Post editorial
The New York Times yesterday presented on its Web site a piece that its author declared to be a "public service" - offering specific ideas on how terrorists with limited resources could "maximize terror" in America. So what did Steven D. Levitt, a University of Chicago economics professor, come up with as "the best terrorist plan I have heard"? "Arm 20 terrorists with rifles and cars, and arrange to have them begin shooting randomly at pre-set times all across the country," suggested Levitt - a notion that he credited to his father. How droll - though we suspect Levitt wouldn't be laughing if "20 terrorists with rifles and cars" took up his idea and Dear Old Dad wound up with a bullet between his eyes.
Musharraf on the Brink – London Times editorial
Pakistan’s Minister of Information said on Wednesday that President Musharraf’s abrupt decision not to attend a long-planned grand assembly of Pakistani and Afghan tribal leaders in Kabul was because of the “difficult circumstances” in Pakistan, which, he suggested, could lead to emergency rule. Yesterday, as rumours swept Islamabad, the head of General Musharraf’s Pakistan Muslim League swiftly played down the suggestion. If the embattled President was flying a kite, the reaction should be an obvious warning. However volatile Pakistan’s political and security situation appears now, a state of emergency would be a political and diplomatic disaster. His present difficulties are largely self-created. The general’s coup in 1999 was initially welcomed by almost all Pakistanis, angered by corruption, stagnation and the bickering of venal politicians. To the outside world, he also seemed the best hope of stamping out corruption, confronting Islamist extremists and easing the tense stand-off with India. After 9/11 he also became a vital ally of the West, especially of America, in the fight against terrorism and the Taleban. But gradually he has alienated key constituencies, some worth confronting, others which should have been courted.
President Musharraf Must Look for a Successor – London Daily Telegraph editorial
General Pervez Musharraf, long considered by the West as indispensable in the fight against terrorism, has run himself into a political cul-de-sac. On paper, he wields supreme power. In fact, he is multiply circumscribed - by the Inter-Services Intelligence agency, whose relationship with al-Qa'eda and the Taliban is, to the say the least, ambiguous; by the army, which refuses to re-enter in force the seven autonomous tribal agencies along the Afghan border; and by the Islamist parties, which have flourished under the military dictatorship, running the government in the North West Frontier Province and forming part of the ruling coalition in Balochistan. The upshot is that the general has become an increasingly ineffective ally against al-Qa'eda and the Taliban, whose leadership is thought to be based respectively in North Waziristan, one of the agencies, and Balochistan.
Faced with Ugly Choices, the General Descends Deeper into his Labyrinth – Bronwen Maddox, London Times
President Musharraf was right not to declare a state of emergency, one of the few good calls that he has made in six months. That move would probably precipitate his overthrow. Even so, it is hard to see how he can navigate the obstacles in the rest of the year, so widely has trust in him collapsed. Pakistan’s best hope is for a leader who treats it as a normal country: respecting its Constitution, appealing to the moderate majority and courting the investors who are essential to its future. It looks less likely by the day that Musharraf is that leader, for all the important improvements that he has made (steadying the economy and taking the heat out of the Kashmir conflict tower above the rest).
Bankrolling Iran – Mark Kirk, Washington Post
Both the U.N. Security Council and the International Atomic Energy Agency have found Iran in breach of its obligations under the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. The IAEA reports that Iran ignored the Security Council's February deadline to stop enriching uranium and has even expanded its nuclear program. As Iran's Atomic Energy Organization moves toward its announced goal of operating 50,000 uranium enrichment centrifuges in Natanz, the World Bank is funding nine government projects in Iran totaling $1.35 billion -- one of which operates in Isfahan, where Iran's nuclear program is headquartered. While the World Bank is part of the U.N. family, the bank's board is disconnected from the policies of key U.N. agencies -- especially the Security Council and the IAEA.
U.S. Can Salvage its Position in the Region - Shlomo Ben-Ami, Miami Herald
America has always known that the Middle East's problems are interconnected, but for years it got its priorities wrong. It failed to see that if there was an Archimedean point to the Middle East problem, it was to be found in the Palestinian issue, not the ''War on Terror,'' Iraq or the need for Arab democracy. It took President Bush six years of wrongheaded policies to finally admit that ``Iraq is not the only pivotal matter in the Middle East.'' Bush's call for a conference of ''moderates'' to promote an Israeli-Palestinian peace is a last-ditch effort to salvage America's position in a region where it is on the defensive on all fronts. It is especially ironic that, in stark contrast to his own rhetoric, Bush's plan is a call to wage war against the party, Hamas, that won a democratic election, and to make peace with the loser, Fatah.
A Ticking Clock on Kosovo's Status - Chris Patten, Boston Globe
It took Serbia 20 years of civic unrest, a devastating war, and eight years of an international protectorate over a chunk of its territory, but Premier Vojislav Kostunica finally claims to have a plan for dealing with Kosovo. The only problem is that no one seems to know what it is. Despite Belgrade's adamant rhetoric demanding Kosovo remain a part of Serbia, the Serbian authorities have never offered any proposal as to how the 90 percent Albanian population of the breakaway province would ever again actually live under a Serb wing. Of course, thinking about the people of Kosovo has rarely been Serbia's strong point: This is, after all, where Belgrade conducted an ethnic cleansing campaign in 1999, massacring thousands of Albanian civilians and driving 800,000 into neighboring countries, until NATO bombing forced a change of policy.
Narco-Insurrection – Ralph Peters, New York Post
Imagine if our country were so ravaged by drug cartels that the president sent the military into a third of the states to break the terror. That's where Mexico is today. We all pay the price. Narcotraficante infighting took over 3,000 lives in Mexico last year as the Sinaloa and Gulf cartels struggled for turf. With government officials and police officers facing the old choice of "silver - or lead," out-of-control corruption plagued the country.
Monty Python is a Poor Guide to Diplomacy – Gerard Baker, London Times
Going down like a lead balloon in Washington carries great rewards back home. In political terms, and even in diplomatic circles, these days you want to go out of your way to be shunned by the White House. Mr Brown, of course, will never say that. Indeed, he is doing a quite brilliant job so far of projecting a studied ambivalence towards the US. Almost daily, his Government sends out conflicting signals. A stray speech by a minister here, the odd remark by someone there suggest that Mr Brown is looking to put distance between himself and Washington — all music to the ears of most British voters. But there’s a bigger pitfall. It may be good for short-term political gain but some day Mr Brown is going to have to decide where he really wants Britain to be in the world.
Putin's Young 'Brownshirts' - Cathy Young, Boston Globe
Nashi was launched in the spring of 2005, largely in reaction to the "Orange Revolution" in Ukraine in 2004, where young adults played a key role in the massive street protests, sit-ins, and strikes that helped pro-Western presidential candidate Viktor Yushchenko prevail in an election dispute. With Nashi and several smaller pro-Kremlin youth groups, the Putin regime is hoping not only to co-opt political activism among the younger generation but to use it as a club against its enemies. And make no mistake: While ostensibly independent, Nashi is a Kremlin creation. Officially, its lavish funding comes from pro-government business owners; it is widely reported that the group also receives direct subsidies from the Kremlin. Nashi activists land coveted jobs and internships in government agencies as well as state-owned oil and gas corporations. Putin's top advisers have met frequently with the group's leaders.
America, Stop Waving the Nuclear Threat at Potential Adversaries – Jack Mendlshon, Christian Science Monitor
In the run-up to the presidential election, the candidates of both parties have a chance to indicate to the world that the next administration will forgo the policy of nuclear intimidation and actively strive to delegitimize nuclear weapons. This nation cannot become more secure by reserving for itself the right to use nuclear weapons while preaching nuclear abstinence for the rest of world.
Intel and Terror: Dems in Denial – Peter Hoekstra, New York Post
The U.K. airliner bombing plot and several attempted acts of terrorism against the United States since 2001 didn't succeed because of good intelligence and improved intelligence cooperation. Some of this cooperation stems from the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act, which Congress passed in 2004. The Bush administration deserves a great deal of credit for the aggressive anti-terrorist intelligence programs it has employed to protect our nation. Unfortunately, at a time when the threat to our nation from foreign terrorists is growing, the Democratic Congress refuses to show responsible leadership.
The Baghdad Fabulist – Charles Krauthammer, Washington Post
For weeks, the veracity of the New Republic's Scott Thomas Beauchamp, the Army private who has been sending dispatches from the front in Iraq, has been in dispute. His latest "Baghdad Diarist" (July 13) recounted three incidents of American soldiers engaged in acts of unusual callousness. The stories were meant to shock. And they did. We already knew from all of America's armed conflicts -- including Iraq -- what war can make men do. The only thing we learn from Scott Thomas Beauchamp is what literary ambition can make men say.
One of TNR’s Experts, Refutes TNR… Michael Goldfarb, Weekly Standard
Why did TNR not include the name of the spokesman who "confirmed that the vehicle is as maneuverable as Beauchamp described"? Because he did no such thing. Owens tracked down this mystery spokesman, now identified as Doug Coffey, head of Communications, Land & Armaments, for BAE Systems, who, it turns out, had never been shown a copy of Beauchamp's story, and who was only asked, in his words, "general questions about vehicle specifications." Owens showed Coffey a copy of the article, and put the question to him: Can the Bradley be operated in the manner described by Beauchamp? His answer, it turns out, was no different than that offered by the Worldwide Standard's own expert, Stuart Koehl, who initially stated that such a maneuver would be virtually impossible, and further that it is inconceivable that such behavior would be tolerated.
‘One World, One Dream’ – Washington Post editorial
On Wednesday, China celebrated the beginning of its one-year countdown to the Beijing Olympics. Festivities and fireworks animated Tiananmen Square, a gathering place known also for its bloody memories. A band onstage guided the crowd through the proud new Beijing pop anthem "We Are Ready." Human rights activists, with less pomp but considerable courage, also observed the Olympics pre-anniversary. On Tuesday, 40 well-known scholars, lawyers and writers released an open letter to Chinese and world leaders. The letter expressed, respectfully, deep concerns over China's human rights policies, particularly in light of the Beijing Olympic Committee's stated objectives of hosting an open, green, and humane Olympics.
China's Olympic Human Rights Test - Toronto Star editorial
Starting today, the world's attention will turn to the Beijing Olympics, where China, as a proud first-time host, hopes to "build a good image and show our civilization to the world," in the words of Liu Qi, head of the organizing committee. China's Communist leaders have spared no effort burnishing that image, including last night's gala countdown to the Aug. 8, 2008, opening ceremonies. They have spent $40 billion building the Bird's Nest stadium and the Water Cube aquatics centre, rebuilding Beijing's skyline and subways, and relocating industry to curb lung-clogging smog. People have been urged to polish their English, to stop spitting and to queue up for buses. Scientists are trying to control the very weather. The aim is to showcase China as a modern, confident, increasingly affluent society that is freer than ever, more open and more respectful of civil liberties including press freedom. But that message is being undercut by the Chinese authorities' autocratic monopoly on power, their preference for a controlled press and reflexive fear of dissent.
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