Terrorized by 'War on Terror'
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/23/AR200703230=
1613.html
How a Three-Word Mantra Has Undermined America
By Zbigniew Brzezinski
Sunday, March 25, 2007; Page B01
The "war on terror" has created a culture of fear in America. The Bush
administration's elevation of these three words into a national mantra
since the horrific events of 9/11 has had a pernicious impact on
American democracy, on America's psyche and on U.S. standing in the
world. Using this phrase has actually undermined our ability to
effectively confront the real challenges we face from fanatics who may
use terrorism against us.
The damage these three words have done -- a classic self-inflicted
wound -- is infinitely greater than any wild dreams entertained by the
fanatical perpetrators of the 9/11 attacks when they were plotting
against us in distant Afghan caves. The phrase itself is meaningless.
It defines neither a geographic context nor our presumed enemies.
Terrorism is not an enemy but a technique of warfare -- political
intimidation through the killing of unarmed non-combatants.
Corn Can't Solve Our Problem
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/23/AR200703230=
1625_pf.html
By David Tilman and Jason Hill
Sunday, March 25, 2007; B01
The world has come full circle. A century ago our first transportation
biofuels -- the hay and oats fed to our horses -- were replaced by
gasoline. Today, ethanol from corn and biodiesel from soybeans have
begun edging out gasoline and diesel.
This has been hailed as an overwhelmingly positive development that
will help us reduce the threat of climate change and ease our
dependence on foreign oil. In political circles, ethanol is the flavor
of the day, and presidential candidates have been cycling through Iowa
extolling its benefits. Lost in the ethanol-induced euphoria, however,
is the fact that three of our most fundamental needs -- food, energy,
and a livable and sustainable environment -- are now in direct
conflict. Moreover, our recent analyses of the full costs and benefits
of various biofuels, performed at the University of Minnesota, present
a markedly different and more nuanced picture than has been heard on
the campaign trail.
They've Testified Before
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/23/AR200703230=
1616_pf.html
Sunday, March 25, 2007; B02
President Bush said last week that he was "worried about precedents"
that might be set if he allowed his top aides to testify before
congressional committees about who knew what when in the fired U.S.
attorneys controversy. Bush said that Karl Rove, Harriet Miers and
others could discuss the issue with members of Congress behind closed
doors -- and not under oath -- but no more. "I'm worried about
precedents that would make it difficult for somebody to walk into the
Oval Office and say, 'Mr. President, here's what's on my mind,' " Bush
said.
Bush's lawyer, Fred Fielding, added in a letter to committee members:
"The president must remain faithful to the fundamental interests of
the presidency and the requirements of the constitutional separation
of powers."
Who Needs a Fence? Viva Mexico, USA!
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/23/AR200703230=
1609.html
By Lyla Ward
Sunday, March 25, 2007; Page B03
When I'm not trying to think of a graceful way out of Iraq, or how to
get China to buy more of the excellent low-fat products we make in
this country, I ponder the problem of illegal immigration. With all
due respect to those worthy legislators who have pushed for the 700-
mile fence along the 2,000-mile border, or guest-worker programs or
out-and-out amnesty, what are the real chances of any of these steps
doing the trick and solving that thorny dilemma? My pondering has led
me to believe: zilch, zero, ningun. So why don't we just end the
rhetoric, put Lou Dobbs out of his misery, pool the fence money and
the increased-Border-Patrol-uniform money, and (110th Congress take
note) buy Mexico?
I know, I know, it's not on Craigslist, but everything has its price,
and we have some world-class mergers-and-acquisitionists in this
country. Plus it's been a long time since we bought a next-door
neighbor -- 204 years to be exact -- and though there have been rumors
that after Katrina some in the Bush administration tried to get France
to take it back, on the whole Louisiana has proved to be a pretty good
investment.
We Can't Win If We Don't Know the Enemy
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/23/AR200703230=
1610.html
By Bruce Hoffman
Sunday, March 25, 2007; Page B05
From the moment that President Bush declared a "war on terrorism" and
then led the country to war in Iraq, the United States has utterly
failed to fulfill the timeless admonition to "know your enemy." This
failure helps explain why we are so far from winning in Iraq or more
broadly against al-Qaeda and its allies.
"If you know the enemy and know yourself," China's Sun Tzu famously
advised in the 6th century B.C., "you need not fear the results of a
hundred battles." But we have plenty to fear, because five and a half
years into this struggle we lack a thorough understanding of our
enemies: their motivation and mind-set, their decision-making
processes and command-and-control relationships, their organizational
dynamics and their ideological appeal.
Constitutional Autocracy
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/24/AR200703240=
0753.html
Egypt's Hosni Mubarak enshrines his authority to steal elections. The
Bush administration applauds.
Sunday, March 25, 2007; Page B06
DURING a brief political opening in 2005 Egyptian President Hosni
Mubarak promised to devote his next presidential term to modernizing
and liberalizing the Egyptian political system. He did so largely to
please the Bush administration, which then was calling on Egypt to
"lead the way" in the democratization of the Middle East. The
septuagenarian president was worried that Washington might object to
his plan to extend his tenure in office, which began in 1981, by
another six years.
Shortly after his "reelection" in a rigged vote, Mr. Mubarak began
retreating on his promise. He jailed his challenger in the election,
liberal democrat Ayman Nour; rigged parliamentary elections; and began
a crackdown on opponents -- not just the Muslim Brotherhood but
secular democrats and liberal bloggers. The Bush administration's
initial protests slowly faded as opponents of President Bush's freedom
agenda at the State Department assumed control over policy toward
Egypt.
Anger Is All The Rage
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/23/AR200703230=
1589.html
By George F. Will
Sunday, March 25, 2007; Page B07
During the divisive War of 1812, a livid woman famous for her long
hair rode to the White House, stood in her carriage, let down her
tresses and proclaimed that she would gladly be shorn of them if they
would be used to hang President James Madison. That anecdote, from
Catherine Allgor's biography of Dolley Madison, shows that today's
theatrical anger is not without precedent. But now there is a new
style in anger -- fury as a fashion accessory, indignation as evidence
of good character.
Under the headline "San Franciscans Hurl Their Rage at Parking
Patrol," the New York Times recently described the verbal abuse and
physical violence -- there were 28 attacks in 2006 -- inflicted on
parking enforcement officers in a city that has a surplus of
liberalism and a shortage of parking places. Parking is so difficult
that George Anderson, a mental health expert, has stopped holding
lectures there because his audiences arrive seething about their
parking frustrations. Anderson represents the American Association of
Anger Management Providers.
An Opening for Democrats
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/23/AR200703230=
1585.html
By David S. Broder
Sunday, March 25, 2007; Page B07
Six years of Republican control in Washington have taken a toll on the
country -- and the GOP is paying the price politically. Instead of the
Bush administration ushering in a new era of GOP dominance, as Karl
Rove hoped, it has set the stage for a Democratic resurgence.
That turnabout was implicit in the results of the 2006 midterm
election, when Democrats took back narrow majorities in the House and
Senate and captured the majority of governorships. And it is
reinforced by a massive poll released last week by Andrew Kohut and
the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press.
Test Time For Europe's Fragile Unity
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/23/AR200703230=
1587.html
By Jim Hoagland
Sunday, March 25, 2007; Page B07
The Romans, Napoleon and Hitler tried brute force to create a durable
European superstate. It took a frail French businessman armed only
with political theory and a deep understanding of economic self-
interest to succeed where the dictators failed.
The Frenchman was Jean Monnet, and his creation -- now called the
European Union -- celebrates its 50th anniversary today. So lift a
glass of cheer but keep your other hand on your wallet. As usual,
Europeans have to celebrate the unlikely unity they have achieved by
worrying about how it can be preserved.
A Partnership on Iraq
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/23/AR200703230=
1591.html
By Lee H. Hamilton
Sunday, March 25, 2007; Page B07
President Bush staked out his position on Iraq in January, and the
House has now staked out its own. Deep divisions between these
positions signal a stalemate among our political leaders. There is no
unity of effort. Yet the president and the Democratic majorities in
Congress will remain in office for nearly two years. They must seek a
bipartisan consensus in the months ahead; otherwise, our efforts in
Iraq will falter.
The American people have soured on the war. They clearly are looking
for a responsible transition for U.S. forces out of Iraq. The House
supplemental spending plan outlines a transition, as do proposals
pending in the Senate. Moving forward, the president and Congress must
become partners, and not antagonists, toward this end.
Senseless Deportations
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/23/AR200703230=
1590.html
By Rachel E. Rosenbloom
Sunday, March 25, 2007; Page B07
Every year, thousands of longtime, legal permanent residents are
deported from the United States on the basis of criminal convictions
without any opportunity to present evidence of their family ties,
employment history or rehabilitation. Many are barred for life from
returning to America.
Next Sunday will mark 10 years since the Illegal Immigration Reform
and Immigrant Responsibility Act went into effect. This broad
legislation, together with the Antiterrorism and Effective Death
Penalty Act, took away the power of immigration judges to exercise
discretion in most types of deportation proceedings. Congress
dramatically expanded the list of offenses resulting in mandatory
deportation so that it now includes many crimes that are considered
misdemeanors under state law and that result in no jail time.
Individuals can be deported for shoplifting, jumping subway
turnstiles, drunken driving and petty drug crimes. Some of those who
have been subject to mandatory deportation came to the United States
as infants and have never known life elsewhere.
U=2EN. Backs Broader Sanctions On Tehran
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/24/AR200703240=
0576_pf.html
Security Council Votes to Freeze Some Assets, Ban Arms Exports
By Colum Lynch
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, March 25, 2007; A01
UNITED NATIONS, March 24 -- The U.N. Security Council voted
unanimously Saturday to approve a resolution that bans all Iranian
arms exports and freezes some of the financial assets of 28 Iranian
individuals and entities linked to Iran's military and nuclear
agencies.
The 15 to 0 vote came one day after President Mahmoud Admadinejad
canceled plans to travel to New York to confront the Security Council,
leaving his foreign minister to speak in his place. It unfolded as 15
British sailors and marines seized by Iranian naval forces were
transferred to Tehran, escalating diplomatic tensions between the two
countries. (See story, A12)
To Be AP, Courses Must Pass Muster
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/24/AR200703240=
1028_pf.html
Teachers Required To Submit to Audit
By Daniel de Vise
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, March 25, 2007; A01
While her students at Blake High School prepare for an Advanced
Placement exam that measures whether they know college-level world
history, Saroja Ringo is being asked to prove she knows how to teach
it.
The College Board, publisher of college-preparatory exams, is auditing
every Advanced Placement course in the nation, asking teachers of an
estimated 130,000 AP courses to furnish written proof by June 1 that
the courses they teach are worthy of the brand.
Terror Database Has Quadrupled In Four Years
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/24/AR200703240=
0944_pf.html
U=2ES. Watch Lists Are Drawn From Massive Clearinghouse
By Karen DeYoung
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, March 25, 2007; A01
Each day, thousands of pieces of intelligence information from around
the world -- field reports, captured documents, news from foreign
allies and sometimes idle gossip -- arrive in a computer-filled office
in McLean, where analysts feed them into the nation's central list of
terrorists and terrorism suspects.
Called TIDE, for Terrorist Identities Datamart Environment, the list
is a storehouse for data about individuals that the intelligence
community believes might harm the United States. It is the wellspring
for watch lists distributed to airlines, law enforcement, border posts
and U.S. consulates, created to close one of the key intelligence gaps
revealed after Sept. 11, 2001: the failure of federal agencies to
share what they knew about al-Qaeda operatives.
For Clinton and Obama, a Common Ideological Touchstone
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/24/AR200703240=
1152_pf.html
By Peter Slevin
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, March 25, 2007; A01
CHICAGO -- The job offer to "Miss Hillary Rodham, Wellesley College"
was dated Oct. 25, 1968, and signed by Saul D. Alinsky, the
charismatic community organizer who believed that the urban poor could
become their own best advocates in a world that largely ignored them.
Alinsky thought highly of 21-year-old Rodham, a student government
president who grew up in the Chicago suburbs. She was in the midst of
a year-long analysis of Alinsky's aggressive mobilizing tactics, and
he was searching for "competent political literates" to move to
Chicago to build grass-roots organizations.
Bush Reaffirms Confidence in Gonzales Amid New Disclosures
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/24/AR200703240=
1196.html
By Dan Eggen and Michael Abramowitz
Washington Post Staff Writers
Sunday, March 25, 2007; Page A04
President Bush issued a new declaration of confidence in embattled
Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales yesterday, affirming his support
a day after new disclosures showed that Gonzales was more closely
involved in the firings of eight U.S. attorneys than he had previously
acknowledged.
Bush used his weekly radio address, taped before the latest documents
were released Friday night, to back Gonzales, his loyal aide of a
dozen years, and the decision to install "new leadership" in some U.S.
attorney offices. He accused Democrats of attempting to "waste time
and provoke an unnecessary confrontation" by seeking sworn testimony
from White House aides about the dismissals.
At Forum, Democrats Differ on Health Care
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/24/AR200703240=
1079_pf.html
Funding Plans Include Raising Taxes, Ending War, Reshaping the
Insurance System
By Dan Balz
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, March 25, 2007; A05
LAS VEGAS, March 24 -- Democratic presidential candidates were united
here Saturday in pledging to provide universal health care to all
Americans but differed over how quickly the changes could be achieved
and, more important, whether they would have to raise taxes to pay for
it.
The candidates addressed what has become perhaps the nation's most
intractable domestic issue and all said that, because of rising costs
of care and the lack of insurance for about 45 million Americans,
incremental steps are no longer adequate.
On Its 50th, E.U. Faces an Identity Crisis
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/24/AR200703240=
0522.html
27-Member Bloc Riven by Competing Visions
By Craig Whitlock
Washington Post Foreign Service
Sunday, March 25, 2007; Page A12
BERLIN -- The European Union will celebrate its 50th birthday here
Sunday in grand style, with all-night street parties and cakes from
all over the continent. But its members are squabbling, as usual, over
what to wish for when the time comes to blow out the candles.
For months, diplomats have labored to draft a formal birthday message
that would highlight the historic accomplishments of the union, such
as the creation of the euro currency and the elimination of many
border controls. The 27 countries that belong to the bloc are
struggling mightily to agree on the wording of the platitudes,
however, not to mention their goals.
15 Britons Taken to Tehran As Iran Dispute Intensifies
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/24/AR200703240=
0095.html
By Kevin Sullivan
Washington Post Foreign Service
Sunday, March 25, 2007; Page A12
LONDON, March 24 -- Fifteen British sailors and marines seized by
Iranian naval forces have been taken to Tehran for questioning as a
diplomatic dispute between Iran and the West intensified Saturday.
The Iranian Fars news agency reported that the British personnel were
being asked to explain what Iran calls their "aggressive" trespass
into Iranian territorial waters on Friday. The agency quoted a senior
Iranian military official, Alireza Afshar, as saying that the British
service members had "confessed" and that if the United States and its
allies invaded Iran, they would "not be able to control the dimensions
and period of the war."
Rice Presses Arab States on Peace Plan
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/24/AR200703240=
0699.html
By Glenn Kessler
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, March 25, 2007; Page A13
ASWAN, Egypt, March 24 -- Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice pressed
Arab officials on Saturday to follow up a peace offering to Israel
with sustained diplomacy. At the same time, she encountered a backlash
from Egypt's government over her criticism of constitutional
amendments that are being put to a referendum Monday.
Rice's meetings in this historic southern city on the Nile highlighted
the challenges she faces as she tries to reinvigorate the Middle East
peace process while maintaining at least a rhetorical commitment to
pushing for democracy in the region. Egypt, the largest Arab country
and one of the few that recognizes Israel, plays a central role in
peace efforts. Rice has come under fire in recent months for appearing
to remain silent as President Hosni Mubarak rolled back electoral
freedoms.
Hong Kong's Unreal Election Campaign
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/24/AR200703240=
1052.html
Under Chinese Rule, Result Is a Given, But Challenger Hopes to Inspire
Activism
By Edward Cody
Washington Post Foreign Service
Sunday, March 25, 2007; Page A15
HONG KONG, March 24 -- As Canto-pop music blared and Chief Executive
Donald Tsang waved from the stage to a cheering crowd of supporters,
it was easy to imagine that he was really campaigning for reelection
as Hong Kong's leader.
Hong Kong, a former British colony that returned to Chinese rule 10
years ago in July, has been enjoying the trappings of electoral
democracy for weeks, with televised debates, dueling platforms and
rallies such as the one Tsang's backers organized Friday night in a
pocket park tucked among the skyscrapers. The experience, Tsang told
his boisterous followers, has been "a wonderful journey."
Perks and Perils of a Heavy Gavel
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/25/weekinreview/25nago.html?ref=3Dweekinrevi=
ew
By ADAM NAGOURNEY
The Democrats seem to have a restive populace on their side as they
try to check President Bush. But how far, and how hard should they
push?
For Europe, a Moment to Ponder
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/25/weekinreview/25cohen.html?ref=3Dweekinrev=
iew&pagewanted=3Dall
By ROGER COHEN
Over the last five decades, its union remade the Continent, but
learning to speak with one voice might be harder.
But Who's Against the Next War?
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/25/magazine/25WWLNlede.t.html?ref=3Dmagazine
By DAVID RIEFF
Democratic presidential hopefuls oppose President Bush on Iraq. Iran
is a different matter.
Reverse Foreign Aid
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/25/magazine/25wwlnidealab.t.html?ref=3Dmagaz=
ine&pagewanted=3Dall
By TINA ROSENBERG
Why are poor countries subsidizing rich ones?
Leni Riefenstahl Books by J=FCrgen Trimborn and Steven Bach
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/25/books/review/James.t.html?ref=3Dreview&pa=
gewanted=3Dall
Reviewed by CLIVE JAMES
Once the Nazis lost, Leni Riefenstahl and her defenders tried to argue
that artistic genius trumps politics.
'The Buried Book'
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/25/books/review/Rosen.t.html?ref=3Dreview&pa=
gewanted=3Dall
By DAVID DAMROSCH
Reviewed by JONATHAN ROSEN
A history of "The Epic of Gilgamesh," the world's oldest work of great
literature, which sprang back to life in England in the 19th century.
'Virgin: The Untouched History'
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/25/books/review/Kuczynski2.t.html?ref=3Drevi=
ew
By HANNE BLANK
Reviewed by ALEX KUCZYNSKI
Hanne Blank looks at virginity through the ages.
'Billy the Kid: The Endless Ride'
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/25/books/review/Stiles.t.html?ref=3Dreview&p=
agewanted=3Dall
By MICHAEL WALLIS
Reviewed by T. J. STILES
Michael Wallis recounts the brief but turbulent life of a legendary
outlaw.
The President's Prison
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/25/opinion/25sun1.html
The Guant=E1namo Bay detention camp has profoundly damaged the nation's
credibility as a champion of justice and human rights.
Warming Up on Capitol Hill
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/25/opinion/25sun2.html
Al Gore received a strong welcome from the two Congressional
committees that will frame any legislation to deal with the warming
threat.
The Lost Generation
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/25/opinion/25sun3.html
If a member of the Backstreet Boys can address a Senate environmental
subcommittee, Matthew Fox can address graduating seniors at Columbia
College.
Compassionate Commercialism
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/25/opinion/25gilbert.html
By DANIEL GILBERT
What happens to us when greed masquerades as need, when cries for help
become casting calls for chumps, when our most noble actions make us
patsies?
Waiting for Freedom, Messing It Up
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/25/opinion/25michnik.html?pagewanted=3Dall
By ADAM MICHNIK
Now that the dream of the European Union is within grasp, Poland and
other Eastern European countries have begun to turn their backs on
it.
After Lifetime in Germany, Turks Still Alone and Torn
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/25/world/europe/25turkish.html?ref=3Dworld&p=
agewanted=3Dall
By MARK LANDLER
Four decades after the first Turks arrived as guest workers, they are
reaching retirement in a land that still feels foreign.
For Europe, a Moment to Ponder
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/25/weekinreview/25cohen.html?ref=3Dworld&pag=
ewanted=3Dall
By ROGER COHEN
Over the last five decades, its union remade the Continent, but
learning to speak with one voice might be harder.
Security Council Votes to Tighten Iran Sanctions
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/25/world/middleeast/25sanctions.html?ref=3Dw=
orld&pagewanted=3Dall
By THOM SHANKER
Senior American officials hailed the new resolution as a significant
rebuke to Iran, and predicted that it would leave Tehran more
isolated.
Diamonds Move From Blood to Sweat and Tears
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/25/world/africa/25diamonds.html?ref=3Dworld&=
pagewanted=3Dall
By LYDIA POLGREEN
Although diamond mining in Sierra Leone is no longer the bloody affair
of a long civil war, it is still a grim business.
Economic Reformer Will Lead Shanghai
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/25/world/asia/25china.html?ref=3Dasia
By THE NEW YORK TIMES
The ruling Communist Party appointed Xi Jinping as the top leader of
Shanghai.
Congress Expands Scope of Inquiries Into Justice Department Practices
and Politics
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/25/washington/25justice.html?ref=3Dwashington
By CARL HULSE and SCOTT SHANE
Members of Congress hinted at the potential abuse of power in the
Justice Department and threatened to rein in the agency.
.
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