The intense political and media scrutiny directed towards Blackwater Inc. this week evokes the old Irish saying that “calm waters run deep, but the Devil lurks in the depths.” During congressional hearings, the rock was lifted to reveal one of the most profound developments in the American way of war since perhaps the use of conscription during the Civil War: civilianization of the battlefield. Ironically, the media exposure of the stark statistic that there are today more civilian contractors serving in Iraq than members of the armed forces occurred during the same week when many Americans tuned in to the [...]
DUSHANBE, Tajikistan — Its snow-capped peaks, crystal-clear lakes and pristine landscapes could put Tajikistan on par with pastoral hot spots in New Zealand or Switzerland. However, lingering Soviet-era paranoia and a dizzying array of as many as 11 permits required for travelers wishing to visit, set against a backdrop of a public infrastructure that could only kindly be called crumbling, make it unlikely that this Central Asian nation will be vying for the title of top tourist destination anytime soon. Divesting themselves of the tangles of red tape to be more accessible to travelers, tourists and investors has been a [...]
UNITED NATIONS, New York — A U.N.-sponsored summit last week on climate change laid the groundwork for further unified global action on limiting greenhouse gasses, but a separate meeting organized by the Bush administration rolled out a unilateral agenda that did little more than widen the gap between the United States and other countries. First came Monday’s summit, convened by U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon at the United Nations, and attended by numerous world leaders and heads of government. The gathering was a prelude to the U.N. conference on climate change in Bali in December, which the world organization hopes will [...]
