Commentary / World Jun 19, 2003

History will credit Shinseki

WASHINGTON -- As he stepped down from office this week as the U.S. Army chief of staff, Gen. Eric Shinseki probably breathed a big sigh of relief. He had been put through the meat grinder in his job, particularly during Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld's ...

Commentary / World Jun 2, 2003

Enough with the France-bashing, please

WASHINGTON -- U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and some of his Pentagon associates appear to be on a private vendetta against France. The Pentagon has not denied, and may even have planted, false rumors that France helped some members of Saddam Hussein's government ...

Commentary / World May 12, 2003

Time to push bigger deal with Pyongyang

WASHINGTON -- When South Korean President Roh Moo Hyun visits Washington this week, what can he and President George W. Bush possibly talk about? The two presidents bring diametrically opposite instincts to the discussion. Bush feels that North Korea is engaged in a pitiful, dangerous ...

Commentary / World Mar 15, 2003

Panama's combat lessons apply to Iraq

WASHINGTON -- Unless Iraq's military capitulates quickly, the most difficult phase of a war to overthrow President Saddam Hussein will likely be the battle for Baghdad. American military triumphs since 1990 have taken place in the open desert of Arabia, the airspace over the ...

Commentary / World Feb 19, 2003

It's no longer just the economy, stupid

WASHINGTON -- In recent weeks, as often in the past, many key Democrats have contributed importantly to American national-security debates. They have been trying to increase funding for homeland security efforts, prodding President George W. Bush to remain multilateral in his approach to Iraq ...

Commentary / World Jan 30, 2003

Forget about military draft

WASHINGTON -- In recent weeks, motivated partly by a looming war in Iraq, a debate has again begun about whether the United States should adopt military conscription to replace its all-volunteer force. While the motivation behind this debate is understandable, it would be a ...

Commentary / World Jan 12, 2003

War deadline weeks away

WASHINGTON -- When will U.S. President George W. Bush have to decide whether to go to war against Iraqi President Saddam Hussein? The Pentagon has recently decided to send the entire 3rd Mechanized Infantry Division from the U.S. state of Georgia and several Air Force ...

Commentary / World Dec 14, 2002

South Korean crisis brewing

WASHINGTON -- The makings of a crisis are evident on the Korean Peninsula. And it is not about North Korea's clandestine uranium-enrichment program or about the Dec. 19 presidential elections. Instead the crisis revolves around the U.S. armed forces, which are badly mishandling relations ...

Commentary / World Nov 5, 2002

Welcome weapons cutbacks

WASHINGTON -- According to recent reports, Pentagon officials are considering cuts in several weapons programs as they develop their 2004 budget proposal. If defense spending is to be kept within reasonable bounds, these are exactly the sorts of reductions that will be required. Otherwise a ...

Commentary / World Sep 28, 2002

Stick to the facts on Saddam Hussein

WASHINGTON -- The claims of U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and Vice President Dick Cheney that Iraq might join with terrorists to strike the United States at any time are far-fetched. Very little about the historical record or current intelligence lends credence to ...