So it turns out that in 2003, Iran offered the following to the US - ending support for Lebanese and Palestinian militant groups, helping to stabilize Iraq following the US-led invasion and making its nuclear programme more transparent. This in return for Washington to end its hostility, to end sanctions, and to disband the [...]

Kevin Drum, relaying a WaPo op-ed by Harold Meyerson, asks whether post-Iraq conservatives will turn towards Eisenhower or Nixon. A good question I think, and one that may provide a glimpse of a forthcoming foreign policy alliance.
Meyerson uses the analogy to compare conservative options for Iraq. He puts Eisenhower’s non-politicised ending of [...]

This piece in the Globe this morning came about three months too late, but it still made my day. As Simpson notes, while Dion was largely seen as being the environmental candidate, Ignatieff actually had a far better policy platform. This is no coincidence though, and the underlying reason why his environmental platform [...]

This, caught by Kevin Drum, is really quite remarkable:
On September 10 1956, Guy Mollet, the then French prime minister, came to London to discuss the possibility of a merger between the two countries with his British counterpart, Sir Anthony Eden, according to declassified papers from the National Archives, uncovered by the BBC.
Not surprisingly (insert bad [...]

Kaplan does the surge math and isn’t convinced. Whole thing is worth a read. Money quote:
Then there are the more political considerations. Nothing will work, even under otherwise ideal circumstances, unless the Iraqi government supports the effort, orders Iraqi battalions to take part, and agrees to let the counterinsurgents go after all militias, [...]

Fallows in someone who, as Andrew points out, got it right on Iraq, and early. In fact, he has been consistently prescient, and in my view wise, over the past 5 years (see here here here here here and here for a start). Does this mean we should listen to him now over the [...]

Usually not a huge fan of Siddiqui’s perspective, but if representative (particularly the quotes), this is a chilling take on the response to the execution from the world’s largest democracy.
I am taken aback by the reaction in India to Saddam Hussein’s hanging. The anger cuts across religious and political divides.
This secular nation of 1.2 billion [...]

Check out Sullivan’s review of The History Boys. I agree that it was a wonderful movie, albeit from a somewhat more removed perspective than Andrew. I particularly liked how it kept elements of its theatrical origins. In many instances, you felt like you were watching a play. I do agree [...]

A couple of months ago David asked for comments on the latest Lancet Iraqi excess death study. I had drafted something but then forgot to finish and post it. Anyways, better late than never I suppose.
I do have a bit of a thing for counting bad things, and have been involved with [...]

I am writing regularly at oxblog, but will be cross posting the longer posts here.