Selections: May 2007

Wednesday, May 16, 2007

Too-slow trickle of results in Iraq as time runs out -- Times of London

Too-slow trickle of results as time runs out

The surge is not useless, as critics have charged, but it was never more than a means to an end: buying a bit more time to enable Iraqi government and security forces to improve. The army is better; the police, a bit; the Government hardly at all.

--Bronwen Maddox, Times of London

Monday, May 14, 2007

Hagelberg! Bloomha! For '08! Maybe

Hagelberg! Bloomha! For '08! Maybe

Speculation about New York City Mayor Bloomberg's and Nebraska Senator Chuck Hagel's plans for next year. Both have been dropping hints at possible independent runs, perhaps on a joint ticket.

--The Nation

Green.view | Making buildings behave better | Economist.com

Making buildings behave better

It's not just your car, it's your garage too.

The IPCC report looked at the potential for cutting emissions of carbon dioxide from all major culprits—including transport, power generation, general industry, agriculture and buildings. Despite all those exhaust-pipes and power-station chimneys, it found that the greatest potential lay with buildings.

--The Economist

Only Halfway There - New York Times

Liberals and conservatives can agree:

Only Halfway There - New York Times

You can’t be serious about getting out of Iraq if you’re not serious about getting off oil.

....the last thing we can afford to do is walk away from the Middle East militarily while remaining chained to it economically.

Everyone has an energy plan for 2020. But we need one for 2007 that will start to have an impact by 2008 — and there is only one way to do that: get the price of oil right. Either tax gasoline by another 50 cents to $1 a gallon at the pump, or set a $50 floor price per barrel of oil sold in America.

4 Myths About America-Bashing in Europe - washingtonpost.com

4 Myths About America-Bashing in Europe - washingtonpost.com

1 The French hate us.
2 Europeans look down on the American way of life.
3 "Old Europe" no longer matters because China and India are the future.
4 Europe loves only Democrats.

--William Drozdiak, The Washington Post

What We Got Right in Iraq - washingtonpost.com

What We Got Right in Iraq - washingtonpost.com

Paul Bremer defends his record.

--L. Paul Bremer, the Washington post

Meanwhile: President Obama? Not this time - International Herald Tribune

Meanwhile: President Obama? Not this time - International Herald Tribune

Idealists, unfortunately, don't win.

--Alex Beam

Comment is free: Behind the 'Zion curtain'

Comment is free: Behind the 'Zion curtain'

Just as Arabs do not realise just how 'Middle Eastern' Israelis are, Israelis don't realise how 'western' millions of Arabs are.

--Khaled Diab

Stopping climate change | Green market forces | Economist.com

Stopping climate change | Green market forces

The hopes and failings of carbon trading.

--The Economist

A Baghdad plea: U.S. should stay and fight - Opinions - NY Daily News

I wasn't surprised when I saw Al Qaeda's second-in-command, Ayman al-Zawahiri, appear on Al Jazeera to announce America's defeat last week, not long after U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid did. Zawahiri claims Al Qaeda has won, and Reid claims America has lost.

But from here in Baghdad, I see only a war that's still raging - with no victory in sight for Al Qaeda or any other entity. In fact, I see Al Qaeda on the ropes, losing support among my fellow Iraqis.

In the midst of such a fierce war, sending more wrong messages could only further complicate an already complicated situation.

By MOHAMMED FADHIL, New York Daily News

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