Writing Worth Reading
Netanyahu won't make peace so US should go over his head to the Israeli people. But if there's an Israeli 'yes' to de-occupation gestating somewhere it'll still take US surgery to bring it out
Date of publication online: 31 August 2010Obama's speech, trying to put a brave face on US combat troop withdrawals from Iraq, was "rare moment of dishonesty and disingenuousness". Other troops will stay, violence will continue, Iraq is a wreck
Date of publication online: 1 September 2010Remarkably moving piece of writing. US officer pays tribute to brave young interpreter who joined Americans after al-Qaeda beheaded two of his classmates. Spoiler: it doesn't end happily
Date of publication online: 29 August 2010Spiegel plays hardball. Great questions. Begins with stoning, then on to election-rigging, corruption, nuclear weapons. Mottaki dodges, blusters. All interviews should be like this
Date of publication online: 30 August 2010Sometimes, things are clearer viewed from a distance. US commentator says European integration has gone into reverse, driven by nationalism in general, Germany's in particular
Date of publication online: 29 August 2010Lucid argument against more US support to prop up Somali government, which is no use anyway. Main effect would be to radicalise country further, boosting extremist Al Shabab movement
Date of publication online: 26 August 2010
Guaranteed to be the most interesting article about potash you will read this year. Surge in price of key fertiliser mineral signals rising Chinese demand for food, fear of world food shortage
Date of publication online: 27 August 2010Lots of sharp insights about Iraq, financial crash, US policy. Writer looks back at key predictions she got wrong. "I believed that the Fed and prudent fiscal policy had, to a large extent, tamed the business cycle"
Date of publication online: 27 August 2010Sharp critique of US, British policy. Blaming Pakistan misses the point; better idea would be to make use of Pakistani army's leverage with the Taliban to negotiate end to conflict, unity government in Kabul
Date of publication online: 1 August 2010Lacerating analysis of British prime minister's speeches during recent trips to Turkey and India. Poor technique, breathless and patronising in tone -- and what he should have said instead
Date of publication online: 31 July 2010A dismantling of Israel's argument that it must retain Jordan Valley area of the West Bank for security reasons. Includes well-judged swipe at moribund "peace process"
Date of publication online: 31 July 2010Attack on US-funded drug war in Mexico. It kills thousands of civilians, enriches corrupt Mexican army and officialdom—and yet has no visible impact on drug trade. Who is fooling who?
Date of publication online: 23 July 2010Withering dismissal of WP's "Secret America" series. "Will impress only naïve readers who have failed to realize that the US government and its major components are huge"
Date of publication online: 29 July 2010Short, bitter account of dinner given by Obama for Wills and eight other historians. They said Afghan war was another Vietnam. Obama said "realistic solution" was possible
Date of publication online: 27 July 2010Popular wisdom gets history of Afghanistan back to front. For centuries it has been a cradle of empires, a land for conquerors. It chewed up Brits and Soviets, but Brits came back
Date of publication online: 26 July 2010Furkan Dogan was shot dead by Israeli forces on a Turkish vessel in international waters. What would have happened if an American called Michael Sandler had been killed by a Palestinian gunman in the West Bank?
Date of publication online: 26 July 2010Satirical take on incoming British foreign secretary's attempt to put his stamp on foreign policy. Imagined discussion between British diplomats, fishing for meaning among the buzzwords
Date of publication online: 2 July 2010Writer argues Afghanistan conflict has become a proxy war, Nato only a bit player. With signs Karzai is planning for life after the Americans, could a grand bargain between Pakistan and India be possible?
Date of publication online: 1 July 2010Critic of Afghanistan strategy argues West is confusing what is desirable with what is possible. Answer lies in recognising limitations, understanding there are things that we, as foreigners, cannot do
Date of publication online: 1 July 2010Former CIA agent mocks Russians' old-fashioned methods—but worries that Kremlin's strategic thinking hasn't advanced much since the Cold War either
Date of publication online: 29 June 2010FBI rolls up Russian spy ring in US still using morse code and buried bags of cash. Tantalisingly good news story, and for much more detail on tradecraft, click through to the original FBI affidavit
Date of publication online: 28 June 2010Turkish Jews used by Israeli navy as translators give most even-handed account so far of raid on Gaza flotilla. Debunks wilder accusations about incident, suggests Turks, Israelis both to blame for creating climate of misunderstanding
Date of publication online: 28 June 2010Dismissal of erring Afghanistan commander was potentially risky move for Obama, but replacing him with Petraeus is unassailable politically, strategically. Maybe time for US ambassador, envoy to go too
Date of publication online: 23 June 2010America's problem in Afghanistan is the war, not the leadership. Allies are leaving, domestic support is evaporating, Karzai is doing deals elsewhere. Sacking McChrystal won't change fundamentals
Date of publication online: 22 June 2010
The man and the memoirs: a collection of essays, diaries and polemics portraying Britain's former...
"There's a military triumph in there somewhere, I swear. You just have to look at it from the right angles". Even by the Onion's exalted standards, this is a wonderful piece of writing
Israel is likely to bomb Iran's nuclear sites within the coming year. US leadership knows this will happen, accepts it despite friction with Israel on other issues
Withering dismissal of WP's "Secret America" series. "Will impress only naïve readers who have failed to realize that the US government and its major components are huge"
Perhaps it doesn't take great-power confrontation to start world war. Convergence of medium-sized problems, exacerbating one another, might do the trick. In which case: time to worry